Al-Jouf International Olive Festival, in its fourteenth edition, currently being held at Prince Abdul-Ilah Civilization Center in Sakaka, constitutes an opportunity to market the products of olive farms in the region, through the establishment of a special exhibition that offers a link between producers and consumers to display products. More than 45 farmers are taking part in this year's festival which offers them a chance to market their products of olive fruits, oil, and their derivatives. According to the Olive Research Center at Al-Jouf University, the production of Al-Jouf farms in the previous season amounted to 11,000 tons of olive oil, achieving a gradual increase in recent years, produced from 18 million olive trees, and thus being the most productive tree in the Kingdom after the palm. The director of the center, Dr. Bassam bin Faris Al-Aweesh, attributed the increase in production to the tendency of farmers and companies to replace many crops with olives after it has been proved their economic feasibility, as well as the adoption of the condensed cultivation method instead of the traditional method, where 1600 trees are planted per hectare instead of 200 trees according to the traditional method, adding that the quality of "Al-Jouf Oil" contributed to its popularity making it the number one on demand among consumers in the Kingdom. Al-Aweesh stated that planting olive trees are a strategic option in line with the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 towards achieving food sufficiency and a national economic tributary stimulating investment, as well as its environmental impact on increasing vegetation cover, improving climate, and resisting desertification. Al-Jouf has outperformed many countries in the world in olive oil production, especially after Al-Jouf Agricultural Company obtained a certificate of Guinness World Records for the size of area and production and for being registered as the largest modern olive farm in the world for the second year in a row.
