SAKAKA: Al-Jouf Gov. Prince Fahd bin Badr opened the second Olive Festival in Sakaka city on Saturday. The event was marked by the launch of an olive investment company.
“The festival will help in marketing Saudi products abroad,” said Prince Fahd hoping it would attract local and foreign investors to the region. “We welcome and encourage businessmen wishing to come to the region to invest in olive and other agricultural products,” he added.
Prince Fahd said the event would be a good opportunity for farmers to sell their produce. He recalled that during the first olive festival last year, olive sales reached more than SR10 million.
“Before the olive festivals, harvests used to remain with farmers. Now they have a great opportunity to market their produce,” the prince said.
The event was also attended by Prince Sultan bin Salman, secretary-general of the General Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (GCTA), and Fahd Balghunaim, minister of agriculture.
Prince Sultan described the festival an important event for shedding light on national achievements in agriculture sector. He lauded the government’s support for the industry, which he said has been a source of security and income for people in the Kingdom. “The success of the Kingdom in agriculture has become a model for others,” he added.
He said the festival is an opportunity to help market the region’s products and encourage tourism. The GCTA has approved a number of festivals related to agricultural products, Prince Sultan said.
Balghunaim said the Al-Jouf region has, since ancient history, been famous for its agriculture, adding that more than 600,000 hectares in the region have been under cultivation.
Muhammad Al-Nasser, chairman of the festival’s organizing committee, said Allah has blessed the region with olive and the event aims at acknowledging that.
