The Hannover Messe-network show, supported by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, returns to the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center from 30 November to 2 December 2026, focused on automation, digitalisation and energy solutions for industry.
The 43rd Saudi Agriculture exhibition takes place at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center from 19 to 22 October 2026 under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, with more than 430 exhibitors and the co-located food, packaging and aquaculture shows. Focus areas include smart greenhouses, precision irrigation and controlled-environment agriculture.
The Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture launched the plant-health atlases of the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases (Weqaa): seven reference atlases in nine volumes, two of them in English, covering field crops and fodder, fruit trees, date palms, vegetables and stored grain. They result from fieldwork between 2018 and 2025 across 3,300 farms that documented 1,032 pests and pathogens, supporting early diagnosis and integrated pest management.
SDC Group, working with LONGi, completed a 12.538 MW solar system that powers irrigation on desert farmland in Saudi Arabia, using dust-resistant back-contact panels. The panels raised output by more than 5% and cut the farm's electricity costs by over 30% within six months, the same model we apply when linking pumps and irrigation systems to solar power.
The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources issued 364 industrial licences in June 2026 with investments of about SAR 4.46 billion, expected to create more than 3,100 jobs, while 164 factories began production with SAR 1.88 billion invested. The National Industrial Strategy targets around 36,000 factories by 2035.
Data from the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) put the Kingdom's renewable pipeline at 63.8 GW across 53 projects, with operational capacity up to 19.3 GW, 63 times the 2020 level. Solar makes up 81% of the portfolio, and eight projects totalling 7.7 GW are due for completion in 2026.
The Ministry of Energy announced that 13 clean-energy projects totalling 10,500 MW came online in 2026: 7,000 MW of solar and wind plus 3,500 MW of batteries storing 14,000 MWh, taking grid-connected capacity to 24,800 MW. The largest plants are Haden and Muwayh in Makkah region at 2,000 MW each and Khushaybi in Qassim at 1,500 MW.
Chaired by the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the fund's board approved loans and credit facilities exceeding SAR 600 million across several regions, financing automated poultry and sheep slaughterhouses, red-meat production, a feed and livestock market and cold-storage warehouses for farm produce, to support local production and stable supply chains.
At the 'Localizing the Water Industry' ceremony in Riyadh, the Saudi Water Authority announced that six investment opportunities worth SAR 2.8 billion have moved into industrial implementation, within a programme to localise 18 components representing about 90% of the industry's core components, with partners including Alfanar, Torishima and Energy Recovery. Local content in the sector rose from 45% in 2020 to 68% in the first half of 2026.
A UN report shows the Kingdom's reuse of treated wastewater rose from 17% in 2019 to 30% in 2026, with 99% of collected wastewater now treated and more than a third of the reused water directed to irrigation, agriculture and industry, widening non-conventional water sources for farming.
SPPC signed storage service agreements for four independent battery projects totalling 2,000 MW with four-hour duration, or 8,000 MWh, an investment of more than $1.16 billion. The sites are Muwayh and Haden in Makkah region, Al Kahfah in Hail region and Khushaybi in Qassim, under 15-year agreements, as the first step towards 48 GWh of storage by 2030.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture organised the first Saudi Water Week in Jeddah, bringing decision-makers, experts and companies together in more than 97 specialised sessions on water security, efficient use and investment opportunities in the sector.
Riyadh Cement Company plans a 30 MW solar installation to supply its plant, next to a 12.6 MW waste-heat recovery system being built with Sinoma and expected to be fully operational in the second half of 2026, with the aim of lowering electricity consumption and operating costs. An example of factories generating part of their own power.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development announced the rehabilitation of the first million hectares of degraded land and the planting of 159 million trees since the Saudi Green Initiative began in 2021, on the way to 10 billion trees and 40 million hectares.
Elsewedy Electric announced the completion of a 349 MWp photovoltaic project in Saudi Arabia, a sign that large grid-scale plants keep being delivered alongside the distributed systems built for farms and facilities.