In the presence of His Excellency Engineer Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, and Sheikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, Secretary-General of the National Initiative for Agricultural Sector Development, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture signed agreements to allocate (6) agricultural lands to Bahraini farmers in the Hoora Aali region, with a total area of 40,138.20 square metres, as part of national efforts to enhance food security and support Bahraini farmers.
The agreement was signed by the Ministry, Engineer Assem Abdul Latif Abdullah, Undersecretary for Agriculture and Livestock Affairs, with six Bahraini farmers. According to the agreement, six agricultural lands with an area ranging between 5,000 and 7,000 square meters were allocated to each site, as part of a public auction through the government land investment platform, allocated exclusively to Bahraini farmers, with contracts extending for ten years and including a grace period of one year to enable farmers to establish and equip agricultural facilities.
On this occasion, His Excellency the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture confirmed that this step comes in fulfillment of the visions and aspirations of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the great king of the country, may God protect and preserve him, in enhancing national food security and developing the agricultural sector, and in implementation of the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him, in supporting Bahraini farmers and enabling them to continue production and competition.
His Excellency also noted the interest and follow-up of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of the King of the country and Chair of the Advisory Council of the National Initiative for the Development of the Agricultural Sector, who pays special attention to the agricultural sector and contributes to its development and support to its workers, in order to enhance the sustainability of agriculture in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
His Excellency stated that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture is working to provide these lands with basic infrastructure services, such as treated water, desalinated water, and irrigation networks, noting that this step comes within the Ministry’s strategy to expand the scope of sustainable agricultural activity and raise the efficiency of local crop production, which contributes to strengthening the food security system.
In turn, Sheikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, Secretary-General of the National Initiative for the Development of the Agricultural Sector, confirmed that the allocation of land in Horat Aali represents a practical model of the effective partnership between the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture and the National Initiative, with the aim of enabling Bahraini farmers to expand production and raise their operational efficiency, thus enhancing the development of the agricultural sector and increasing its contribution to achieving food security.
Sheikha Maram explained that the national initiative continues to develop programs and plans aimed at supporting Bahraini farmers by providing land and agricultural services, noting that the Bahraini farmer is the main pillar of the national food security system.
For his part, Engineer Asim Abdul Latif Abdullah, Undersecretary for Agriculture and Livestock Affairs, explained that the Ministry aims to support the Bahraini farmer and enhance his contribution to achieving national food security, by providing the appropriate environment, providing the necessary infrastructure and technical services, and encouraging innovation in production methods.
The agent added that the Ministry pays special attention to providing technical and guidance support to farmers through agricultural supervision teams in Hoora Aali, which conduct weekly field visits to provide technical consultations and follow up on irrigation and production operations, ensuring the quality of crops and the sustainability of local production.
