South Korean food and beverage company Nongshim held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for a pilot greenhouse at the National Agricultural Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking a key step in Korea’s push to export agricultural technology to the Middle East.
The ceremony was attended by Vice Minister Park Beom-su of Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Al Mushaiti, Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
As part of Seoul's Smart Farm Export Promotion Program, Nongshim was selected as the lead company in a consortium of four Korean firms and will be responsible for managing the construction and operation of a smart greenhouse tailored to local conditions.
Scheduled for completion by December 2025, the facility will cover 2,000 square meters and integrate two models: a vertical farm and a glass greenhouse. It will grow leafy vegetables such as frilled lettuce and kale, as well as cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers, optimized for the tastes of local consumers.
The initial harvest will be sold through the distribution channels of a local Saudi partner, with future expansion into major retailers such as Carrefour and LuLu Hypermarket, and online platforms like Amazon and Noon.
“Nongshim is proud to represent Korea in promoting the excellence of smart farming,” a company official said. “This project will serve as a foundation for expanding our global smart agriculture business.”
hyelimchung@heraldcorp.com
