Nongshim Co. broke ground Monday on a smart farm facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the South Korean food giant’s latest push into Middle Eastern agriculture technology. The ceremony at the National Agricultural Research Center was attended by agricultural officials from both countries, including Vice Minister Park Beom-su of Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture and Vice Minister Al Mushaiti of Saudi Arabia’s Environment, Water and Agriculture department.
The 2,000-square-meter pilot project represents a tactical diversification for the company best known for instant noodles. The facility will combine vertical farming with glass greenhouses, focusing on less bitter leafy vegetables like kale alongside sweeter crop varieties including cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers—specifically tailored to Middle Eastern palates that prefer sweeter produce.
Expected to be completed by December 2025, the project forms part of Korea’s Smart Farm Export Promotion Program, with Nongshim leading a consortium of specialized Korean technology firms. These include SFarm for greenhouse operations, ioCrops for AI robotics management, and Pomit for IT systems.
The venture aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy. Initial harvests will be distributed through local partners, with plans to expand to major retailers like Carrefour and Lulu Hypermarket, plus e-commerce platforms Amazon and Noon.
This isn’t Nongshim’s first agricultural venture in the region, having exported container-type smart farms to Oman in 2022 and signed smart farm agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar in 2023.
