65 thousand women benefit from the “Saudi countryside”... and 70% of the beneficiaries are women

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The number of women benefiting from the “Rural Saudi Arabia” program exceeded 65,000 women in various regions of the Kingdom, while the share of women reached 70% of the total beneficiaries, an indication of the expansion of their participation in agricultural and productive activities, and the strengthening of their economic presence in rural communities.

Coinciding with the International Day of Rural Women, the program revealed indicators that reflect the diversity of areas of Saudi women’s participation in the rural sector, starting with agricultural production and transforming national crops into value-added products, all the way to developing production chains and participating in activities related to roses, honey, fruits and plants.

According to the program’s data, the percentage of women’s participation in the added value associated with converting national crops into products for productive rural families reached 86%, which reflects their presence in activities that go beyond primary agricultural production to product manufacturing and processing.

These activities are gaining importance in the rural economy, as they allow agricultural crops to be used to produce marketable goods, and open areas for work and small projects related to local products.

In the rose and honey sectors, the participation rate of women reached 56%, through activities that include rose cultivation, beekeeping, and honey production, which are areas related to local agricultural products and the diversity of economic activities in rural areas.

Women's participation is not limited to the production stages, but extends to developing products and taking advantage of marketing opportunities, thus enhancing the role of women in agricultural and craft activities related to the local environment.

The data showed that the percentage of women’s leadership presence in developing agricultural production value chains in the fruit and vegetable sectors reached 58%, which reflects the extension of their participation to areas of developing productive activities, and not being limited to direct agricultural work.

Agricultural value chains, in their economic sense, include the stages that the product goes through from cultivation and production to processing and marketing, which are activities that contribute to increasing the economic value of crops and enhancing opportunities to benefit from them.

These indicators coincide with the International Day of Rural Women, which falls on October 15 of each year, and highlights women’s contributions to agriculture, food security, and the development of rural communities.

The “Rural Saudi” program works to support rural agricultural activities, providing male and female beneficiaries with opportunities to develop their productive businesses and benefit from local resources.

The announced numbers reflect the expansion of women’s participation in the program’s sectors, and their role in diversifying sources of income and enhancing economic activity in rural areas of the Kingdom.