When Did Mango Cultivation Begin in Saudi Arabia?

The actual beginning of mango cultivation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was in 1982, in Jazan Province. This was preceded by experimental cultivation in 1972 at the Agricultural Research Center affiliated with the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture in Jazan Province. The oldest mango tree planted in Saudi Arabia was there and reaches a height of about thirty m, marking the formal establishment of mango farms in Saudi Arabia.

Between 1982 and 1984, the Agricultural Research Center in Jazan Province, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, introduced several global mango varieties for local cultivation. These varieties were imported from regions with environmental conditions similar to Jazan Province, such as Florida (USA), India, Egypt, Sudan, and Australia. These varieties underwent years of agronomic research, which confirmed that Jazan Province is environmentally suitable for mango cultivation. The research and studies were implemented, and mango farming expanded throughout the region, becoming one of Saudi Arabia’s high-yield economic crops. Today, over sixty varieties of mangoes are grown in Saudi Arabia.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia has achieved 60 percent self-sufficiency in mango production. The total cultivated area is approximately 6,880 ha, and annual production reaches around 88,65 t.