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Agricultural production sector in the GCC countries

There is no doubt that the agricultural sector is of great importance today in the world’s economies; as it helps achieve self-sufficiency and food security, reduces the spread of unemployment and alleviates the burden of poverty, and is the main source of raw materials for many manufacturing industries. This vital sector employs about 935.6 million workers, representing 28.3% of the global workforce.

• According to the latest statistics, the amount of plant production in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries of various agricultural crops is estimated at about 8.7 million tons. It is noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia alone contributes 60.5% of the Gulf plant production, followed by the Sultanate of Oman with about 19.1%, then the Emirates with 12.5%, and the rest of the countries share the remaining percentage.
• Vegetables constitute 41% of the Gulf plant production. Vegetables are the first product on top of the Gulf plant production list in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia leads the rest of the countries in the region in vegetable production, with its contribution amounting to 55.1% of the production volume.
• Cereals constitute 7% of the total plant production in the GCC countries, amounting to 1.9 million tons. The UAE leads the rest of the GCC countries in grain production, with a contribution of 42.9%.
• The amount of fish caught in the GCC countries was estimated, according to the latest statistics, at 740 tons. The Sultanate of Oman’s share of this amount was 74.8%.
• There are 124,700 people working as fishermen in the GCC countries (40% of them in Oman, and 33% of them in the UAE).
• There are 41,100 fishing boats in the GCC countries; the Sultanate of Oman accounts for 57.7% of them, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with 26.6%.

• Despite all of the above, the contribution of this sector to the global GDP does not exceed 4%. Here, this percentage must be reconsidered for the coming future; in 2050, the world population will exceed 9 billion people, and the agricultural sector alone will be responsible for feeding these people and required to protect them from the abyss of hunger.
• The total area of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries is estimated at about 2.4 million square kilometers, and the cultivated area of this land is 11.8 thousand square kilometers, and this cultivated area constitutes 0.5% of the total area of the Council countries.
• The GCC countries are similar in that the cultivated area compared to the total area does not exceed 1%, with the exception of the Kingdom of Bahrain, where the percentage of cultivated land reaches 4.8% of the total area.
• Fruit production is expected to boom in the GCC countries in the coming years, with a CAGR of 3.8%.

Global agricultural production sector

Over the past 20 years, the added value of agriculture has increased by 73% to reach US$3.5 trillion.

Agriculture accounts for 4% of global GDP.

Agriculture employs 874 million people, representing about 27% of the world’s total workforce.

4.8 billion hectares is the total agricultural area in the world, divided into (3.2 billion hectares of meadows and pastures and 1.6 billion hectares of crops).

The total global production of primary crops is 9.4 billion tons.

The total global production of red and white meats is 337 million tons.

The total global production of fruits is 883 million tons.

The total global production of vegetables is 1,128 million tons.

The total global production of vegetable oils is 201 million tons.

The total global production of dairy is 883 million tons.

The total global production of eggs is 83 million tons.