Current Status of Agriculture Biotechnology in Saudi Arabia Nasser Al-Khalifah

1. مركز أبحاث التقنية الحيوية Current Status of Agriculture Biotechnology in Saudi ArabiaNasser Al-Khalifah King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology Expert consultation meeting for regional Agriculture BiotechnologyCairo – Egypt 15-16 December 2007

2. Introduction Biotechnology is nowadays a strong tool in the hands of scientists for use to promote many aspects of biological applications. It is a resultant of a group of science fields. It is partly biochemistry as it deals with promoters and inhibitors, microbiology as micro organisms are widely used as tools of transformation, and molecular biology as the genetic materials are the most common tools of biotechnology.

3. Saudi Arabia as a developing country has considered benefiting from biotechnology. Biotechnology in agriculture is becoming increasingly important in the development process of Saudi Arabia. Because of the significant role of the private sector in biotechnology, this new technology brings with it important and complex intellectual property issues.

4. Agriculture Biotechnology It is a group of technologies that work individually or together and implemented to develop a plant , animal or micro bio- product to develop Agriculture in plant Production and protection , animal husbandry or products that finally leads to the service of human

5. The current Status implementation Saudi Arabia has moved to advanced steps in its strategic plans to implement Biotechnology. KACST as the concerned governmental department for science and technology had finalized its national plan 5 years ago which includes Biotechnology fields. This year (2007) KACST also making the final draft of strategic plan. This plan includes 13 technologies ,Biotechnology is one of them. The biotechnology implementation will be mainly in Agriculture, Health and Environment for the next five years

6. Interaction of Biotechnology مشترك تنظيمية معلوماتيه حيوية نانو حيوي صحية بيئية الجهات ذات العلاقه المدينه الجامعات الوزارات المراكز البحثيه المؤسسات القطاع الخاص زراعيه

7. The Biotechnology Research Center Considering the Great importance of biotechnology , KACST has established the national Biotechnology Center located in its campus in Riyadh , The mission of this center is to lead the national efforts in this field mainly in medical ,Agriculture and environment. It is considered as an application of KACST strategic plan. Now BRC is carrying out research and coordinating with national and international similar institutes to facilitate Biotechnology in proper means

8. Biotechnology Directions

9. Administration and regulation The National committee for Biotechnology 1992 The National committee for bioethics 2001 The National committee for Bio-safety 2002 The National committee for Biodiversity 1996 The national Sci. & Tech. Plan 2000 KACST Bio- tech Strategic Plan 2007

10. The current StatusResearch Research mainly funded by KACST as a major governmental research funding body. Now other than the General research Grants Program KACST also funds research through internal fund. Beside these there will be Centers of Excellence programs which is part of the strategic plan implementation and will be a source of another research fund.

11. The current StatusResearch Examples of Annual Research Program Projects Related to Biotechnology

12. The current StatusResearch Examples of Limited Grants Program Projects Related to Biotechnology

13. The current Status ApplicationsBio Centers

14. The current StatusResearch Example of some on going research Projects Related to Biotechnology in KACST

15. Cereal production in Saudi Arabia

16. Food Production and Trade In Saudi Arabia

17. Commodity Production in Saudi Arabia, FAOSTAT, 2005

18. Commodity Imports in Saudi Arabia, FAOSTAT,2004