The government shed light on agriculture since 1927, when agriculture was considered a significant source of life, wealth, and economy. His Highness King AbdulAziz - may Allah have mercy on him - had ratified the Decision of the Shura Council, which provided for exemption to all agricultural implements from customs duties, and development of agricultural movement in Saudi Arabia by importing some agricultural machinery and equipment in 1932 to be distributed by the Ministry of Finance among farmers at affordable prices.
Main Duties:
- Supervising and developing the environment, water and agriculture affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Providing subsidies, loans and equipment to farmers in coordination with the Agricultural Development Fund.
- Guiding farmers to adopt modern farming practices.
- Preparing uncultivated lands suitable for agriculture and granting these lands to citizens to cultivate them.
- Preserving the vegetation cover of rangelands or irrigated pastures and forests for development and afforestation.
- Preserving of the wild agricultural environment and the fisheries and aquatic environment.
- Providing irrigation water suitable for agriculture through wells, dams and earth dams.
- Encouraging the export of surplus agricultural, livestock and fish production to destinations outside the Kingdom.
- Increasing the potential production of local food.
- Developing agriculture, livestock, fisheries and related industries.
- Developing resources and manpower.
- Self-sufficiency of food, plant and animal products and their derivatives.
- Conduct applied research aimed at introducing advanced approaches in the field of agriculture, livestock and fisheries.
- Designing, implementing, operating, and maintenance of irrigation and drainage projects, and distributing irrigation water to promote the efficient use of these resources.
- Protecting, investing and developing living aquatic resources (fishing in the seas, fish farming). Conducting a survey of the areas of fish populations in the seas and their quantities, disseminating this information to beneficiaries and fishermen, and encouraging the use of modern fishing techniques.
- Protecting agricultural and animal resources through the application of animal and plant quarantine systems on the Saudi’s land, air and sea ports.
