Fertilizer Plants in Saudi Arabia: Vision 2030 and Protected Cultivation
Saudi Arabia is trying to grow more of its own food in one of the driest countries on earth, while its fertilizer industry builds some of the world’s largest export plants. This article covers both sides of that picture, and why the real opening for granulation, drying and blending equipment sits in mid-scale domestic lines rather than in the headline megaprojects.
Farming under Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia imports around 80% of its food, according to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), and Vision 2030 names agriculture as one of five main strategic sectors. The country cultivates roughly 3 million hectares of wheat, dates, vegetables, fruit, alfalfa and greenhouse crops. Renewable water resources are reported at under 100 cubic metres per person per year.
Water scarcity has pushed policy away from water-intensive crops such as feed corn, and toward protected cultivation, hydroponics and higher-value produce. Agricultural GDP exceeded SAR 114 billion in 2024, according to MEWA figures cited in market research.
| Crop segment | Scale | What it means for fertilizer demand |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat | Projected national consumption of about 4.75 Mt in marketing year 2024/25 | Reported to be the largest single contributor to domestic fertilizer consumption, with heavy use of nitrogen products such as urea |
| Dates | About 37 million palms; 1.92 Mt produced in 2024 (GASTAT) | Dates account for the largest share of controlled-release fertilizer use in one market study, because nutrient timing matters closely in this crop |
| Fruit and vegetables | Over 3.5 Mt per year | Growth in protected cultivation is increasing demand for water-soluble grades and micronutrients |
| Greenhouse vegetables | About 7,800 ha and more than 121,000 greenhouses in 2024; about 797,000 t produced | Fertigation-grade products that deliver precise nutrient ratios through irrigation systems |
Most of the growth in domestic fertilizer demand is therefore coming from higher-value, nutrient-sensitive crops rather than from bulk field crops.
Protected cultivation is growing fastest
Greenhouse vegetable area grew from about 5,900 ha in 2020 to about 7,800 ha in 2024, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). Greenhouse vegetable output rose from about 678,000 t in 2022 to about 797,000 t in 2024, a 10.6% increase on 2023 alone. One market study estimates protected cultivation acreage grew about 35% between 2022 and 2024, which is above what the official figures suggest.
| Year | Greenhouse vegetable area | Greenhouse vegetable output |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | About 7,800 ha | About 797,000 t |
| 2023 | About 7,000 ha | About 721,000 t |
| 2022 | Not published in the sources reviewed | About 678,000 t |
| 2021 | About 6,000 ha | About 613,000 t |
| 2020 | About 5,900 ha | About 584,000 t |
The number of greenhouse structures has held at roughly 121,000 to 130,000 since 2020, while the area and output have grown. That points to larger, more productive units rather than more small ones. Tomatoes and cucumbers account for about 58% of greenhouse area.
Policy is pushing this further. In 2022, MEWA and the Agricultural Development Fund approved a greenhouse expansion plan with about SAR 4 billion of expected new investment, aiming to add 430,000 t of output between 2023 and 2025 and lift annual greenhouse capacity above 1 Mt. Every new hectare under cover adds demand for water-soluble, fertigation-grade and micronutrient products.
Two very large producers, both aimed at export
Saudi Arabia hosts two of the most significant fertilizer producers not just in the Middle East but globally, and both are expanding mainly for export markets. SABIC Agri-Nutrients (SABIC AN) is a major nitrogen producer with about 4.8 Mt per year of urea capacity. Ma’aden is a major phosphate producer, and its Phosphate 3 programme is described by the company as adding 3 Mt per year of phosphate fertilizer capacity.
| SABIC Agri-Nutrients | Ma'aden | |
|---|---|---|
| Main nutrient | Nitrogen (urea, ammonia) | Phosphate (DAP and related products) |
| Stated capacity | About 4.8 Mt/yr of urea today; 7.4 Mt/yr after SAN-7 | More than 9 Mt/yr of phosphate fertilizer once Phosphate 3 is complete (company figure) |
| Flagship project | SAN-7 at Jubail: +1.2 Mt/yr ammonia and +2.6 Mt/yr urea | Phosphate 3: a USD 6.4 billion programme, starting with a new ammonia plant |
| Timing | Construction from Q4 2026; commercial production targeted for Q4 2030 | Phased; see company announcements |
| Orientation | All SAN-7 urea is intended for export | Most output has historically been sold to international markets |
| Main site | Jubail, Gulf coast | Ras Al-Khair, Gulf coast, with process water from desalination |
In August 2026 the two companies also signed a three-year, non-binding framework agreement to develop value-added agri-nutrient products, including joint production and manufacturing opportunities. That matters for mid-scale production, because it signals interest in moving beyond commodity urea and DAP.
SAN-7: a USD 3.47 billion urea complex that lifts capacity 54%
SABIC AN took the final investment decision on SAN-7 in September 2026 and awarded a USD 3.465 billion EPC contract to Samsung E&A. The complex will raise the company’s urea capacity by 54%, from 4.8 to 7.4 Mt per year.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Jubail Industrial Complex, eastern Saudi Arabia |
| Ammonia | 1.2 Mt/yr (about 3,500 t/day), KBR technology |
| Urea | Two plants, 2.6 Mt/yr combined (about 7,700 t/day), Stamicarbon and thyssenkrupp Uhde technology |
| Carbon capture | Post-combustion capture using Shell technology; captured CO2 is reused in urea synthesis |
| EPC contractor | Samsung E&A (contract value USD 3.465 billion) |
| Urea technology package | Nextchem's NX STAMI package, with contracts worth around EUR 125 million |
| Schedule | Construction from Q4 2026; commissioning in Q3 2030; commercial production in Q4 2030 |
| Market | All urea from the site is intended for export |
SAN-7 is a conventional, gas-fed ammonia and urea project rather than a blue-ammonia plant, but carbon capture should lower its emissions intensity. Its commercial success will depend on high utilisation and a low delivered cost as global nitrogen supply expands.
The gap between export capacity and domestic specialty supply
Saudi Arabia makes very large volumes of commodity urea and DAP, but many advanced chelated micronutrients and specialty formulations used on its farms are still imported, according to market research. International suppliers such as Yara, Haifa Group, ICL and SQM compete in the specialty and water-soluble segment. The government is also promoting slow-release products and bio-fertilizers, and fertilizer use is regulated by MEWA.
That creates a different kind of opening from the megaprojects:
| Export-scale projects (SAN-7, Phosphate 3) | Domestic compound and specialty lines | |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Urea, ammonia, DAP and related phosphate products | NPK blends and grades with added micronutrients, tailored to wheat, dates and greenhouse vegetables |
| Typical scale | Millions of tonnes per year | Considerably smaller, depending on plant design |
| Process basis | Licensor-led, with proprietary technology packages | Plant-specific drum or pan granulation and blending lines |
| Relevance of granulation and drying equipment | Limited | Direct |
Logistics: Hormuz exposure and a Red Sea option
Both of Saudi Arabia’s largest fertilizer sites, SABIC AN at Jubail and Ma’aden at Ras Al-Khair, ship from the Gulf coast, which exposed them to the 2026 disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. The International Energy Agency estimates that more than 30% of global urea trade normally moves through the strait.
Unlike the UAE or Iraq, Saudi Arabia also has a Red Sea coast. Reports in October 2026 indicated that SABIC had moved urea overland from Jubail to Yanbu to bypass the strait, and the FAO noted that Saudi Arabia managed alternative logistics toward African markets earlier in the year. For new capacity, a second export route and enough storage to ride out a closure are now likely to shape site and design decisions.
Where equipment decisions come in
Rotary drum granulators, dryers and coolers are not central to SAN-7 or Phosphate 3; those projects are built around large-scale licensor technology. The realistic opening is in the domestic market: mid-scale NPK and specialty lines that turn locally available nitrogen and phosphate into grades suited to wheat, dates and greenhouse vegetables.
For that kind of project, the key decisions are:
- Granulation method, drum or pan, matched to the product range
- Drying and cooling capacity sized to throughput
- Screening and size reduction for consistent granule size
- Dosing and blending accuracy, especially for micronutrient grades
These are the areas Ceylan Machine & Process works in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SABIC’s SAN-7 project?
SAN-7 is a new ammonia and urea complex SABIC Agri-Nutrients is building in the Jubail Industrial Complex. It will add 1.2 Mt per year of ammonia and 2.6 Mt per year of urea, raising the company’s urea capacity by 54%, from 4.8 to 7.4 Mt per year. Samsung E&A won the USD 3.465 billion EPC contract.
When will SAN-7 start production?
Construction is scheduled to start in Q4 2026, with commissioning expected in Q3 2030 and commercial production in Q4 2030. All the urea from the plant is intended for export.
Why is Saudi Arabia expanding protected cultivation?
Saudi Arabia imports around 80% of its food and has under 100 cubic metres of renewable water per person per year. Greenhouses and hydroponics let farmers grow higher-value produce with less water, which supports Vision 2030’s food-security goals.
How large is greenhouse farming in Saudi Arabia?
Greenhouse vegetables covered about 7,800 hectares in 2024, with more than 121,000 greenhouse structures, according to GASTAT. Output reached about 797,000 tonnes. In 2022, the government approved a greenhouse expansion plan with about SAR 4 billion of expected new investment.
Which crops drive fertilizer demand in Saudi Arabia?
Wheat is reported to be the largest single contributor to domestic fertilizer consumption, mainly through nitrogen products such as urea. Dates, fruit, vegetables and greenhouse crops are growing in importance, with greenhouse crops increasing demand for water-soluble, fertigation-grade and micronutrient products.
Does Saudi Arabia import specialty fertilizers?
Yes. Saudi Arabia produces very large volumes of commodity urea and DAP, but many advanced chelated micronutrients and specialty formulations used on its farms are still imported. That gap creates an opportunity for domestic NPK and specialty production.