Visitors swarm Saudi Arabia’s Jazan Honey Festival

JEDDAH: The seventh Jazan Honey Festival is attracting more fans in the region’s Edabi governorate, where the event is held annually.

The festival was recently launched by Jazan Gov. Prince Mohammed bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz. He was briefed upon his arrival about the festival’s activities and the accompanying events.
Local resident Dr. Mohammed Al-Ghazwani said the festival sought to introduce and showcase the region’s various agricultural, tourism, economic, and investment components, including honey.
He added that the festival, where 50 beekeepers were displaying various types of first-class natural honey, also aimed to support local beekeepers and that it had helped apiarists to invest in the region’s fertile environment to produce commercial quantities.
“The festival also helps Jazan’s honey farmers to develop packaging methods for their honey products, in light of the support and care given by the wise leadership aiming to develop the country and serve citizens and improve their well-being,” Al-Ghazwani said in a speech on behalf of locals. “Over 700 kilograms of honey have so far been sold over the last three days of the festival, worth more than SR250,000 (around $67,000).”
Around 3,500 kilograms of honey were sold at last year’s festival with a total value of more than SR2 million.

A local visitor to the festival, Mohammed Hassan Hakami, told Arab News that the region could produce different types of honey including sidr, which was a well-liked and popular variety in the Kingdom.
“In the region, we also have other honey types, such as Al-Qatad, Al-Majra, Al-Samrah, and Al-Shawkah. We also have different types of fine beeswax,” Hakami said.
He bought 2 kilograms of sidr tree honey and expressed his confidence that the festival’s organizers would not allow low-quality honey to be put on sale.
Honeybee expert Faiz Al-Quthami said that Salam honey could not be produced anywhere else but Jazan.
“Jazan is the best region for producing bees, honey, and beeswax. The region also has mangrove honey, which is higher in medicinal and nutritional value than any other type of honey. However, many beekeepers pay less attention to this type of honey,” he said.
Al-Quthami said that some types of honey were more expensive than others simply because of the shortage of the produced quantities.
He said that Majra honey, for example, was produced in small batches due to its short season but that this factor justified its high prices when compared to those of sidr tree honey.
“Sidr honey is very popular in Saudi Arabia for its fine quality, availability, and reasonable price. Based on scientific research and studies, however, Al-Samar honey is the second-best honey after that of the mangrove shrubs.”