Saudi Arabia aims to boost its caviar production by leveraging the expertise of Russian specialists. Ibrahim Alzahrani, Director of Aquaculture at the National Program for Livestock and Fisheries Development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, shared this during an interview with a TASS correspondent on the sidelines of the VI International Fishery Forum and Exhibition of Fishing Industry, Seafood, and Technologies (Seafoodexpo Russia) in St. Petersburg.
"Saudi Arabia is a nation of connoisseurs who can truly appreciate the delicacy of black caviar. Our clientele includes Saudi airlines, upscale hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues. While we have been involved in sturgeon breeding and black caviar production since 2005, our current production level is relatively modest, at just 3 tons per year. We are actively exploring opportunities to enhance our collaboration with Russian experts to significantly increase our caviar production," explained Alzahrani.
Furthermore, he highlighted that in February 2024, Saudi Arabia will host the III International Fisheries Exhibition, and Russian specialists and investors are highly encouraged to participate, given their keen interest in broadening collaboration. Alzahrani also underscored that Saudi Arabia's objective is to boost production, not only of black caviar but also across all fish-related products.
"Our aim by 2030 is to achieve an annual production level of 600,000 tons across all fish products. Currently, we produce only 120,000 tons, and we recognize the significant gap that needs to be closed. We intend to bridge this gap by leveraging the expertise and practices of our Russian colleagues," he concluded.
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Based on materials from TASS