Saudi Arabia’s largest indoor vertical farming project to-date has broken ground in its capital city, Riyadh. This dual purpose commercial vertical farm and experiential center will feature exhibition and dining areas where visitors will be able to enjoy a meal while looking over the farm.

Initiated by Vertical Farms Company (VFCo), a joint venture between Mowreq Specialized Agriculture and YesHealth Group, construction work is slated for completion in July and farming operations are to begin in the second half of 2024.

The building was designed by Mowreq and YesHealth Group. Its construction is being executed by Mowreq with local vendors Commitco and Darat. YesHealth Group is responsible for constructing the vertical farm, which will be 15 meters tall with a total growing area of 20,000 square-meters spread over 19 layers, capable of producing up to 2,200 kilograms of leafy greens per day. Produce will include full-size lettuces, cruciferous vegetables, baby leaves, and specialty crops such as edible flowers.

“This project has been carefully coordinated by our teams in Saudi Arabia and Taiwan,” says Jesper Hansen, Chief Commercial Officer at YesHealth Group. “I’m pleased to see how effectively we're collaborating, and I must praise our Saudi partners for their solid execution. As Mowreq and contractors build the outer structure, YesHealth Group is manufacturing the equipment so it can be delivered just in time for the final phase of construction. We require three months to install the equipment and two months to test it. If everything goes to plan, then we’ll be harvesting our first crops in the fall.”