The 14th edition of the Al-Jouf International Olive Festival is presently ongoing at the Prince Abdul-Ilah Civilization Center in Sakaka, with more than 45 growers taking part.

The event makes the connection between producers and customers, and a chance for farmers to advertise their olive fruit, oil, and byproducts.

The farmers told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the annual fair has become an economic and agricultural festival over the last 13 years bringing huge numbers of people from Al-Jouf and other places, allowing them to market their olive oil commodities.

They also emphasized the role of the Al-Jouf Governor's Award for the finest olive oil product in increasing farmer competitiveness and, as a result, improving product quality.

According to the Olive Research Center at Al-Jouf University, the last season's supply of Al-Jouf farms amounted to 11,000 tonnes of olive oil, reaching a progressive growth in recent years, generated from 18 million olive trees, making it the most prolific tree in Saudi Arabia after the palm.

Dr. Bassam bin Faris Al-Aweesh, the center's director, attributed the increase in production to farmers' and companies' inclination to substitute many crops with olives once their economic feasibility has been proven, and the acceptance of the condensed cultivation method rather than the traditional method, in which 1,600 trees are planted per hectare instead of 200 trees according to the traditional method.

He went on to say that the high quality of "Al-Jouf Oil" contributed to its appeal, rendering this the most sought-after commodity among Saudi customers.

According to Al-Aweesh, planting olive trees is a strategic choice in alignment with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 objectives of achieving food sufficiency and a national economic tributary inducing investment, and its environmental consequences on increasing vegetation cover, improving climate, and resisting desertification.

Al-Jouf has surpassed many countries in the world in olive oil production, particularly after Al-Jouf Agricultural Company was awarded a Guinness World Records certificate for the size of area and production, and also being licensed as the world's largest modern olive farm for the second year running.