Russia's ROST Group considers building greenhouses in Saudi Arabia

MOSCOW. Nov 27 (Interfax) - ROST Group, a leading protected soil vegetable producer in Russia, is considering building greenhouses in Saudi Arabia.

"We have the technology and expertise to quickly establish greenhouse complexes adapted to Saudi Arabia's climate. Such projects create a stable platform for bilateral cooperation. We plan to negotiate the implementation of a large-scale investment project to build greenhouses in the kingdom," group board member Maxim Shirokov said during the Investment Cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia in the Agricultural Sector working meeting, held as part of a business mission by Russian exporters to Saudi Arabia. His remarks were reported by the Russian Agriculture Ministry's Agroexport Center, which organized the mission.

Shirokov highlighted the technological solutions that Russian companies can offer their Saudi counterparts.

Abdulrahman Al-Dhafiri, business development director at Al Rajhi International for Investment, expressed interest in the project. Developing hydroponic farms and greenhouse production is a crucial step towards achieving Saudi Arabia's food independence, he said. The company considers it important to involve international partners, including Russian experts, whose technological and production expertise could be key to these initiatives, he said.

The ROST group of companies, founded in 2013, is the Russian market leader in protected soil vegetables. The company has 21 greenhouse complexes in 14 regions of the country. The company's brands include Lukhovitsky Vegetables, ROST, Sweet Berry, Botanika, Honey and Flamenco.

As reported, ROST plans to launch its first complex in Siberia in 2026, with initial investment estimated at 10 billion rubles and an annual production capacity of around 15,000 tonnes of vegetables. An agreement with the Omsk region was signed earlier this year at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.