Animal feed producer, the Arabian Agricultural Services Company (ARASCO), signed an agreement with NEOM, the region in the northwest of Saudi Arabia focused on innovation and sustainability, and Cargill to explore how they can work together to support the sustainable expansion of the Saudi aquaculture sector and its aspiration to achieve self-sufficiency in aquaculture protein demand by 2030 in an environmentally friendly manner.

Nasser A. Abanmi, CEO of ARASCO, Juan Carlos Motamayor, head of NEOM Food and Helene Ziv-Douki, global president of Cargill’s Aqua Nutrition business, were present in Riyadh for the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in December 2022. The three parties will work together to explore and scale up sustainable ways to meet rising domestic demand for aquaculture, including through research and development into more sustainable feed sources.

“Providing sustainable protein to feed the growing population requires all of us to work together,” said Ziv-Douki. “We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with ARASCO and NEOM with the aim of producing the seafood the world needs while minimizing its impact on the planet.”

“Aquaculture began in Saudi Arabia nearly 35 years ago. Now, it became one of the highest exports, and as per the statistics, aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing food production sectors in the world. We enjoy abundant natural resources along the west coastline (2,600 km) where aquaculture can be a great potential opportunity to serve food security in the country,” said Abanmi.

“Aquaculture offers the most sustainable way to produce protein in terms of water consumption and carbon emissions to arid countries such as Saudi Arabia. This agreement will ultimately lead to addressing the need to replace fishmeal with more sustainable fish feed,” said Motamayor. “Additionally, it aligns with NEOM’s efforts to facilitate the production and supply of sustainable seafood while protecting the marine environment. We look forward to working with ARASCO and Cargill to transform the seafood-production industry and minimize the environmental impact.”

With 40 years of experience, ARASCO is the largest manufacturer of animal feed in the Middle East with three business segments that address food security.