Over the past five years, Saudi Arabia has transformed its rural advisory services (RAS) through digital innovation, participatory learning, and targeted support to agricultural value chains. These efforts have enhanced livelihoods, strengthened resilience, and expanded opportunities for women and youth across rural communities, making RAS a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s sustainable agriculture agenda.
Digitalization has been a key driver of this transformation. MEWA launched an integrated advisory portal (Namaa) and the mobile app “Murshiduk / مرشدك,” which provides real-time guidance, AI-assisted recommendations, weather-triggered alerts, and remote expert consultations. These platforms connect over 312,000 farmers with 448 accredited specialists, enabling fast, targeted advisory support even in remote areas. Digital tools complement traditional field extension, using diagnostics, remote sensing, and mobile reporting to bridge the gap between observation and expert analysis, improving response speed and reducing information gaps.
Crisis resilience has been strengthened through Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and surveillance systems. In partnership with FAO, MEWA institutionalized FFS across date-producing regions, equipping farmers with skills in integrated pest management, irrigation efficiency, and sustainable crop care. A particular focus on combating the Red Palm Weevil has combined field demonstrations with digital alerts, enabling early detection and rapid response. These initiatives have created a proactive, knowledge-driven extension environment that builds farmers’ adaptive capacity.
Inclusion has become central to Saudi RAS. Programs such as the Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program (Reef) provide technical and financial support to women and youth in key value chains, including beekeeping, aromatic plants, traditional foods, and small livestock. Collaboration with national women’s observatories and youth entrepreneurship initiatives has expanded access to training and supported women-led rural enterprises, ensuring that advisory services generate social as well as economic impact.
Capacity development has focused on long-term, field-based learning. Through Training-of-Trainers programs for agricultural engineers and extension officers, MEWA has strengthened local expertise in climate-smart agriculture, good agricultural practices, and facilitation of season-long DFFS cycles. This approach has improved knowledge adoption, farmer-to-farmer learning, and the sustainability of extension efforts across multiple crops and livestock systems.
RAS has been closely aligned with national policies and institutional reforms. Frameworks such as the National Food Security Strategy, the Saudi Green Initiative, and MEWA’s restructuring have integrated advisory services into broader strategic priorities. The Agricultural Development Fund has complemented these efforts by financing farm modernization, greenhouse expansion, and water-efficient irrigation, creating a strong enabling environment where advisory recommendations are supported by accessible investment.
Key lessons from Saudi Arabia’s experience highlight the importance of integrating digital tools with human-centered, participatory learning; aligning technical advice with value-chain development to accelerate income gains; and mainstreaming gender and youth inclusion to increase social impact. The Kingdom’s model demonstrates how combining innovation, field-based learning, inclusive programming, and supportive policy frameworks can effectively strengthen rural advisory services and serve as a replicable model for the broader NENA region.
