• Construction work is slated for completion in July and farming operations are to begin in the second half of 2024

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 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.”

Partners meet in Riyadh to coordinate the project. Left to right: Khder Al-Ghamdi (Co-founder of Mowreq), Tajaldeen A. Shaath (General Manager of Commitco for Construction), Jesper Hansen (Chief Commercial Officer at YesHealth Group), Chen Wen-Long (Head of R&D Engineering at YesHealth Group), three managers from the construction team (Commitco for Construction), Eng. Laith Al Shraideh (Area Manager at Darat Engineering Contracting Company).

Visualization of the building that will house Mowreq’s vertical farm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

About Mowreq

Mowreq Specialized Agriculture was co-founded by Dana Enany, Modar Nazer, Khder Al-Ghamdi, and Obeid Bin Zagr in 2019. Mowreq established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's first indoor vertical farm with a mission of providing locally-grown, safe, clean, and nutritious food to families, communities, and the country.

About YesHealth Group

YesHealth Group is a global indoor vertical farming company, redefining the standards of food safety in fresh produce through controlled environment agriculture. The Group operates YesHealth iFarm in Taiwan, and builds vertical farming infrastructure for regional partners (such as Mowreq) worldwide.