Innovate UK Business Connect has launched a new Global Business Innovation Programme visit to link with agritech needs in Saudi Arabia. Now's your last chance to apply - the closing date is 27th July 2025.

Closing date for applications          27th July 2025
Get ready workshop                       15th and 16th September 2025
Market visit                                     17th – 24th October 2025
Exploit the opportunity workshop   13th January 2026

Why Saudi Arabia?

Agriculture is central to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda to reshape and diversify its economy, driven by its aim to ensure food security and place itself at the forefront of tackling land degradation and desertification.

Taken together with population growth, this presents a range of opportunities to the UK, including exports, inward investment, collaboration on research and development, and sharing best practices and learnings from UK initiatives.

In March 2024 the UK and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding to boost research links and collaboration in science and technology.  The agreement laid the foundation for deeper co-operation between the UK and KSA addressing global challenges in food security, water and clean energy.

The agricultural sector itself contributes around 4.3% to the non-oil GDP of the kingdom, employing more than 350,000 people. While a water-scarce country (there are no water-flowing rivers) with harsh terrain, there is still substantial agricultural production.

There was a clear drive and investment to develop novel solutions in controlled-environment agriculture, precision breeding/agriculture, livestock and aquaculture. For example, enhancing plant traits to mitigate biotic and abiotic stress, management and increasing productivity of crops, and consumer demand for fin-fish, are some of the drivers for innovation.

The visit programme will focus on multiple areas of agritech including:
•    crops: advanced and precision plant breeding; precision robotics for harvesting; diagnostics and sensors for crop monitoring; technologies to improve water use efficiency; integrated pest management.
•    livestock and aquaculture: precision livestock technology in dairy and poultry production; management of health and disease in dairy and poultry production; fertility and reproduction technologies in dairy production; advanced and precision breeding, health diagnostics and AI-enhanced fish monitoring with application to fish health and feed management.  
•    circular economy: utilisation of agricultural and food waste streams, eg for conversion to higher value product streams; improving sustainability through circular economy approaches to agriculture / aquaculture / food production.

You can find the online application form here.