18 DECEMBER • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG Beyond profits, seaweed farming offers strategic benefits: it contributes to local industry by supplying agar for food processing and laboratories, it creates skilled jobs in the mariculture sector, and it aligns with environmental sustainability by cultivating a renewable marine resource. Seaweed farming is a modern and sustainable aquaculture opportunity that can thrive within the framework of sustainable agricultural rural development, diversifying the economy and leveraging the country’s extensive coastline for food and biotechnology production. If well-executed, this seaweed production venture can position Saudi Arabia as a regional player in agar production, reducing dependence on imports and spurring further innovation in marine agribusiness. Looking ahead, the focus will shift from feasibility to implementation, with an emphasis on supporting more coastal producers, building small-scale agar processing capabilities, and linking products to domestic and regional markets. Saudi Arabia’s coastline holds untapped potential, and with the right partnerships, seaweed farming can evolve from a promising pilot to a transformative industry. Acknowledgements The authors express their gratitude to the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for providing photos and materials. Special thanks to all young Saudis who have actively participated in the seaweed production activities, to the Naqua company to allow the implementation of the activities in their coastal area, and to the MEWA Seafood Laboratory in Jeddah for the extraction of agar testing. Notes Osamah Ahmad, National Fisheries and Aquaculture Expert, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Ibrahim Almohsen, National Professional Officer, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Raul Rincones, Seaweed Expert, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Pedro Guemes, Technical Adviser (Fisheries and Aquaculture), The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Benjamin C. Young,* Aquaculture Consultant, Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Saif Algethami, Director of Aquatic Animal Health Department, Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Ali Al Shaikhi, Assistant Deputy for Livestock and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. * Corresponding author: benjamin@nfdp.gov.sa References Alshaikhi, A., Alshaye, K., Ageely, O., Samarali, R., Alharbi, B., Alhafedh, Y., Almohsen, I. and P. Guemes. 2023. Fisheries Statistics: Saudi Arabia 2016-2021. FAO, Riyadh. Saudi Arabia. Bayomy, H.M. and E.S. Alamri. 2024. Biochemical Assessments of Six Species of Edible Coastal Algae Collected from Tabuk Region in Saudi Arabia. Molecules 29:639. Young, B.C. and A.A. Shaikhi. 2022. Sustainability Estimates of Coastline Fish Hatcheries in Saudi Arabia. North American Journal of Aquaculture 84:442-446. Young, B.C. and A.A. Shaikhi. 2023. Sobaity Seabream Culture in High-Temperature Conditions. North American Journal of Aquaculture 85:200–204. Young, B.C., S. Algethami, A.A. Alazwari, F. Alghamdi, and A.A. Shaikhi. 2025. Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) Aquaculture in Saudi Arabia: A New Start and New Practices. World Aquaculture 56(1):48–51. FIGURE 7. Cleaning and preparation of growing systems. Source: Osamah Ahmad. FIGURE 8. Building raft floating system with simple materials such as ropes and pipes. Source: Osamah Ahmad.
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