RAFHA: The Kingdom’s Northern Borders region has emerged as a key pillar of the nation’s food security and rural development strategy, with livestock numbers surpassing 7.5 million, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
The report, released by the regional branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, highlighted the region’s growing role in domestic animal husbandry, particularly sheep breeding.
The province’s livestock population stands at over 7.5 million, including 7.2 million sheep, 235,814 goats, 56,925 camels and 308 cattle, according to MEWA.
Local breeders said government support for small livestock farmers has improved production and breeding efficiency through veterinary services, vaccination campaigns, and technical advisory programs.
To address long-term challenges linked to climate change, desertification and groundwater depletion, MEWA has introduced programs aimed at promoting sustainable grazing and modern rangeland management practices. (SPA photo)
Officials and agricultural experts said herding remains central to sustainable rural development despite mounting climate pressures affecting natural pastures and water resources.
They said sustainable grazing and rangeland management are critical to preserving biodiversity and limiting vegetation degradation.
The regional growth reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader push under Vision 2030 to strengthen food security, modernize agriculture and reduce reliance on imported meat.
Ruminant-heavy landscape
The Northern Borders region mirrors Saudi Arabia’s wider livestock economy, where sheep remain the dominant sector. Data from the General Authority for Statistics and MEWA place the Kingdom’s national sheep population at around 22.1 million.
Infographic generated by Gemini (Google AI)
Goats number about 7.3 million nationwide, and camels at 2.24 million, according to official data. The national cattle population is about 516,000, including around 233,000 commercial dairy cows concentrated in large-scale operations in Riyadh and the Eastern Province.
These dairy farms produce an estimated 2.7 billion liters of raw milk annually, underscoring the contrast between industrial agriculture and traditional pastoralism in the Kingdom’s northern rangelands.
Climate and ecological pressures
Despite the sector’s growth, livestock producers face long-term challenges linked to climate change, desertification and groundwater depletion across the Arabian Peninsula.
To address these pressures, MEWA, in coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization, has introduced programs aimed at promoting sustainable grazing and modern rangeland management practices.
Environmental specialists say preserving vegetation cover and regulating grazing patterns will be essential to sustaining Saudi Arabia’s livestock sector while protecting fragile desert ecosystems.
