farmlandgrab.org | Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia interested in agro-industy of Kazakhstan
- Central Asia News
- 13 Mar 2009
Saudi Arabia will invest in agro-industy of Kazakhstan, reported Interfaz-Kazakhstan with reference to the Ministry of Agriculture.
10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now: 7. The Rent-A-Country
- TIME Magazine
- 13 Mar 2009
Growing crops for strangers, of course, is nothing new. The long, grim march of colonialism was driven by Europe’s penchant for sugar, tea, tobacco and other crops that don’t flourish in northern climes. But as climate change and growing populations put ever more pressure on the earth, state-backed searches for land and food contracts as part of a national food-security strategy strike many as fundamentally new.
Qatar fund to target food and energy
- Financial Times
- 13 Mar 2009
Qatar's sovereign wealth fund will turn its focus to commodities - particularly food and energy - in the second half of 2009, a senior official said yesterday.
Ethiopia - nazret reader responds to Ambassador Berhanu Kebede's letter to FT
- Nazret
- 11 Mar 2009
"Don’t tell me the Saudis grow food in Ethiopia to feed Ethiopians. Here is the conflict. Food shortage and famine is still rampant in today’s Ethiopia."
View of Ethiopia that is out of date
- Financial Times
- 11 Mar 2009
"Huge tracts of unutilised agricultural land are available" writes the Ambassador of Ethiopia to the UK
Saudis plan land investment joint venture with World Bank
- Land Gazette
- 10 Mar 2009
The chief of the International Finance Corporation, Lars Thunell, has been holding talks with Saudi finance minister Ibrahim Al-Assa on corporation in areas of joint 'external agricultural investments'.
Saudi Arabia, Britain discuss investment prospects
- MENAFN
- 10 Mar 2009
Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assa also met the chief of the International Finance Corporation, Lars Thunell, and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the Kingdom and the IFC in areas of joint external agricultural investments in addition to activating the corporation’s activities in the Kingdom.
Quest for food security breeds neo-colonialists
- The Times (London)
- 05 Mar 2009
Perhaps the UN’s hand-wringing is just sentimental. Deals will be done and the rush to buy land has begun in Europe, too.
Saudis get first taste of foreign harvest
- Financial Times
- 04 Mar 2009
Saudi Arabia has announced the arrival of the first food crop harvested in Saudi-owned farms abroad, in a sign that the kingdom is moving faster than expected to outsource agricultural production.
Binladin Freezes Plans To Invest in Local Rice
- The Jakarta Globe
- 04 Mar 2009
The Saudi Binladin empire has frozen its plan to invest $4.3 billion in developing rice crops in Merauke in Papua Province and a separate project in Southeast Sulawesi Province.
DTI sees hike in investments approvals for Mideast bizmen and local tycoons
- Business Mirror
- 25 February 2009
“[Middle East investors] wanted to go on a long-term lease of huge tracts of land and they will plant various crops and then enter into a contract to buy the produce because they need food to feed their people,” Trade Secretary Peter Favila told reporters.
Gov’t mulls farm deals with Saudi investors
- Business World
- 25 February 2009
The investments aim to meet Saudi Arabia’s increasing demand for fruits, vegetables and livestock products