National Aquaculture Group (NAQUA)

The National Aquaculture Group (NAQUA) is a national group specializing in aquaculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its projects on the Red Sea coast, south of Jeddah City, are among the largest aquaculture projects in the world. The first phase of the National Aquaculture Group projects was started in 1982. It has evolved to produce and export seafood all over the world.

The idea of establishing the group began as a research project to study the feasibility of shrimp farming. After the study was completed, facilities were established to start experimental operations, where the first success was with Indian white shrimp. Subsequently, a ten-ha land was allocated for project expansion, where ponds were built contributing to the production of P. monodon shrimp. The major success came with the export of the first shipment of farmed shrimp from the Kingdom to European countries in 1992.

The period between 1995 and 2001 was a significant phase in the project's history, as it entered the commercial operations phase. During this time, a comprehensive shrimp project was established, including a unit to take for shrimp's mothers, a shrimp hatchery, one hundred ponds for shrimp farming, and a processing plant with a production capacity of five t per day. Additionally, specialized laboratories for shrimp testing were set up. The group then moved into the industrial phase, transforming from a small farm operating with traditional methods into an integrated industrial sector based on sustainable scientific principles. This transformation aimed to contribute to food security and support the national economy.

In 2011, the group transitioned from being solely a shrimp-producing company to a group of companies producing a comprehensive range of marine products, including shrimp and various types of fish.

The National Aquaculture Group (NAQUA) produces around one hundred thousand t of marine products per year, such as fish, shrimp, and sea cucumber, which it exports to over thirty-two countries. NAQUA has approximately four thousand employees in aquaculture and production from thirty-two different nations. Among the countries to which the company exports are: Japan, Korea, China, Australia, and the United States, in addition to several European and Arab countries.

The group aims to develop the aquaculture and fisheries sectors, in line with Saudi Vision 2030's goals of economic diversification, income source diversification, and achieving food security.

NAQUA has several projects, including:

- Shrimp Project: This project is single-site and operates on the principle of vertical integration in compliance with local and international standards. Shrimp are produced from a traceable source, utilizing water pumps with a capacity of up to approximately 150 m³ per second. The project includes a grow-out unit comprising eighty nurseries and seventy-seven super-intensive ponds within eighteen farms. Shrimp are processed in factories with a production capacity of around eight hundred t per day.

- Fish Project: The project is implemented in three farms using offshore cages systems, spanning an area of approximately nine hundred km². The farms are monitored around the clock, with feed and nutrition distribution managed through automated pumps. Consumption levels are monitored via dedicated cameras. After harvesting fish according to market demands in terms of weights and sizes, they are transported for processing and packaging, swiftly reaching the markets.

- Sea Cucumber Project: The company operates integrated sandfish (Holothuria Scabra) aquaculture operations, including a mother unit, hatchery, and facilities for growth and development. Additionally, there is a factory for processing, packaging, and freezing the products.

- Feed Project: It specializes in manufacturing, storing, and distributing aquaculture feed products according to international standards.

The group produces: Red Sea shrimp, Red Sea barramundi, and Red Sea sea cucumber, available in various sizes, weights, and shapes. Additionally, they manufacture shrimp feeds automatically, with a production capacity of approximately ninety thousand t annually. The group also has a dedicated store where its seafood products are showcased.

The National Aquaculture Group is a founding member of the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), and it is also a leading member in establishing the Saudi Aquaculture Society.