A look at our demonstration site in Saudi Arabia

Hey folks,

This is a tour from google-earth:  http://www.youtube.com/user/albaydha#p/a/u/1/T5lPQIUHerk

Very interesting. such an extreme site. good luck.

Nice job.

First Jordan, now Saudi Arabia...so inspiring.  Now if someone can get into Libya & the other countries in turmoil before Monsanto does! 

Oh Monsanto is here, no question.  There is some agriculture in the northern area of Saudi Arabia with circle-irrigation and it's all sprayed with biocides.  That and almost all the food here is imported anyway--one of the things we're hoping to accomplish with my project is prove that the Hijaz region of Saudi Arabia (Western mountain region running along the red sea) could host a domestic agricultural sector for the Kingdom here. 

Pneal wrote:
Oh Monsanto is here, no question.  There is some agriculture in the northern area of Saudi Arabia with circle-irrigation and it's all sprayed with biocides.  That and almost all the food here is imported anyway--one of the things we're hoping to accomplish with my project is prove that the Hijaz region of Saudi Arabia (Western mountain region running along the red sea) could host a domestic agricultural sector for the Kingdom here. 

WOW, double good luck!!! I had some family that lived somewhere in saudi arabia for awhile. Not sure where, except that it was some type of city or base for foreigners to live.

Pneal, Loved your youtube videos ! What a great project. Looks like a lot of work has already been done with the terraces.
Please forgive my ignorance of Saudi politics but could you explain a little about who "owns" the land?  How did you get the "buy in" from the government and tribes?
Could you explain in more detail about the plants you will establish etc.

There are two parallel systems of land ownership out here--one is recognized by the government and one is not--

The people there have their own system based on the tradition of whose family lived where--and they respect that system enough to buy and sell from eachother. 

On top of that, is the fact that this is a Kingdom and the government doesn't recognize anyone's ownership of any land unless it has been deeded to them by the government. 

As for  our demonstration site--We chose it and sat down in a meeting with the local tribal sheikhs and the local government office and got their approval to use it, with the understanding that once the project was done it would be handed back to local control as a teaching center and a place that would provide 5-10 permanent jobs.

  I hope you share you work as it progresses. Im VERY interested in folks doing this type of work but especially those at the extremes.

  Do you know what you will be growing yet?

care to explain the water level method they use to terrace?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsx3OFAiv0g

That is a visual video on how to use water leveling to terrace.

i get it, duh!