By Cary Sifferath, U.S. Grains Council Regional Director for the Middle East and Africa

A recent study done in Saudi Arabia on the long-term water situation projected that temperatures will increase by about 4 degrees over the next 40 years. This factor alone will increase water requirements by 15 percent, even before factoring in the country’s increasing agriculture or increasing population. According to the National Commercial Bank, the population has grown at an average of three percent annually over the past two decades, and it is expected to maintain the same pace for at least the next five years.

Agriculture in Saudi Arabia uses around 90 percent of the water supply, and with its continued rapid growth, will certainly lead to higher water needs. With a chronic shortage of water, the Saudi government has acknowledged that the country will have to remain dependent on other countries for its supply of grains and oilseeds. With poultry production in the country growing at a very fast rate of 8-9 percent per year, the demand for corn is expected to increase by around 30 percent over the next three years.

This is a great opportunity for the U.S. Grains Council to continue promoting U.S. feed grains and co-products into this important market in the Middle East, and ensuring that the United States provides a good portion of the growing feed grain market demands.