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Water scarcity is one of the biggest challenges facing Saudi Arabia today, with agriculture consuming 85 percent of the country’s water resources.

Traditional irrigation methods, such as flood irrigation, have long been the norm — but they are no longer viable. I’ve seen firsthand how inefficient water use puts our food security at risk.

The way forward isn’t incremental change — it requires a fundamental shift in how we approach irrigation. For me, the key to addressing this challenge lies in AI-driven smart irrigation, precision water management, and modern irrigation technologies.

These innovations are essential for Saudi Arabia to boost crop yields and strengthen long-term food sustainability. However, the real challenge — and opportunity — lies in scaling these solutions.

Despite advances in water management, many farmers in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East and North Africa still rely on conventional surface irrigation, losing up to 60 percent of water through evaporation and inefficiency.

By adopting AI-driven irrigation networks, we can........

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