On Sunday 12 April 2015, Saudi Aquaculture Society and  Ministry of Agriculture held a workshop entitled "Roadmap to Develop Algae Industry in the Kingdom" in the ministry headquarters.

This comes in line with the ministry's care about diversifying income sources and reducing fodder cost especially the aquatic organisms cultured in view of fishing, investment, aquatic resources protection in regional waters of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia law which states in its first article "Ministry of Agriculture shall supervise and organize fishing and diving works as well as taking all the procedures that develop, invest, and protect living aquatic resources in the regional waters of KSA" 

This workshop is an extension to ministry of agriculture work with King Abdullah University of Science & Technology. KAUST held a workshop entitled "Extension in Technologies of Algae Production in Saudi Arabia" in the university's compass on 10-12 November 2013, in the presence of HE Minister of Agriculture and HE Chairman of Agricultural Development Fund. The workshop tackled several major recommendations including developing a roadmap of algae industry in Saudi Arabia and forming a work team of the concerned bodies in this field (Ministry of Agriculture,  King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, King Abdul Aziz City for Science & Technology, and Saudi Aquaculture Society). Accordingly, a work team of several public bodies in association with the private sector was formed.

Consequently, Ministry of Agriculture contracted with one of the most significant experts to do the tasks of preparing the roadmap of developing algae industry in Saudi Arabia. The consultant expert over the last six months studied, with several public and private bodies, algae situation in the kingdom. The assigned team coordinated with such bodies to prepare a complete study in this regard including Research Center of King Abdullah University of Science & Technology in Thuwal, research institutes in King Abdul Aziz City for Science & Technology in Riyadh, Research, Development, & Innovation Sector at King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy in Riyadh, Arabian Agricultural Services Company (ARASCO) in Riyadh, Environment Protection Management in Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, and SABIC's Technology & Creativity Center.

It is hopeful that the workshop presents clear recommendations for preparing the roadmap of algae industry consistent with the relative merits of Saudi Arabia.