The development of the Kingdom’s agriculture is, in some ways, the most exciting of all the developmental programs. At a time when desertification is a major issue amongst environmentalists and one which, with global warming, is becoming an issue of primary international concern, the Kingdom is channeling resources into turning the desert into agriculturally productive land. The scale of the task is enormous but anyone who has seen the great circles of wheat growing in the desert between Riyadh and Jeddah will realize that the Kingdom’s commitment is more than equal to the challenge. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now self-sufficient in many types of agricultural produce and is, in many cases, able to export.

All these developments in the agricultural and environmental field have been close to King Fahd’s heart and in 1997, in recognition of the Kingdom’s role in agricultural development, the achievement of food security and the Kingdom’s contribution to combating hunger and poverty in developing countries, King Fahd was awarded the International Agricultural Gold Medal by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).