Riyadh - Mubasher: The first international forum for "Rural Saudi Arabia" discussed the role of rural communities in achieving sustainable development goals, in accordance with the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, in addition to the importance of partnerships between the public and private sectors to achieve this, and their effective contribution to developing rural communities.

This came during the opening dialogue session of the forum, with the participation of Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr, Governor of Al-Ahsa, and Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli - according to the Saudi Press Agency "SPA".

The Governor of Al-Ahsa said that the agricultural sectors supported by the "Saudi Rural" program constitute (43%) of the total agricultural and female labor force in the Kingdom, which contributes to raising agricultural production and helps achieve high self-sufficiency rates for many agricultural crops, to enhance the achievement of food security.

Prince Saud bin Talal pointed out the importance of the program in building a new generation of young people who have sufficient interest and awareness in agriculture, in addition to the program’s contribution to supporting and empowering rural women and productive families, by providing a supportive practical environment to achieve its goals.

He explained that the private sector plays an important role in developing the agricultural sector in rural areas, by supporting the use of modern agricultural technologies, in partnership with the government sector, which sets legislation and plans, and motivates farmers and local producers through these programs, and encourages them to increase production and raise its efficiency.

The Governor of Al-Ahsa launched the Saudi Rural Academy, which aims to develop and qualify rural cadres and enhance the skills of small farmers and rural families.