PIF sets up company to support Saudi camel dairy industry

The kingdom's sovereign wealth has established 84 companies in 13 strategic sectors since 2017

Camels pictured in the Rumah region, east of Riyadh. Saudi Arabia aims to boost the camel dairy sector by investing in technological adoption. AFP

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has established a new company to support the growth of the local camel farming industry as part of the sovereign wealth fund's strategy to boost economic diversification in the kingdom.

Sawani Company will seek to be a leading producer of camel dairy products.

It will work in partnership with the private sector to boost the production capacity of the industry and support the domestic ecosystem by modernising operations, improving the localisation of knowledge and investing in the sector’s latest technologies, the PIF said in a statement on Thursday.

“Saudi Arabia has extensive experience and knowledge of the camel dairy industry and enormous potential to expand its operational capabilities and wider ecosystem," Majed Al-Assaf, head of consumer goods and retail in the Mena investments division at PIF, said.

"These factors represent a competitive advantage across the entire supply chain, which, alongside investment, will enable significant growth of the industry, and eventually lead to the export of camel dairy products, which have many nutritional benefits, to regional and global markets.”

The PIF, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, is at the heart of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to cut the country’s reliance on hydrocarbons to fuel its economy.

Since 2017, the fund has established 84 companies across its 13 strategic sectors.

It has more than 2 trillion Saudi riyals ($533 billion) in assets under management and aims to double that by 2025, PIF governor Yasir Al Rumayyan said in May.

The PIF has been instrumental in creating more than 500,000 direct and indirect jobs and intends to create another 1.8 million by 2025, he said.

It also plans to inject up to 1 trillion riyals into new projects in Saudi Arabia and “will continue its efforts to diversify the economy, support local content, develop innovative opportunities for the future and contribute to creating an attractive environment for investments”, Mr Al Rumayyan said at the time.

The setting up of Sawani comes as part of the PIF's strategic focus on the food and agriculture sector, it said.

The fund has also set up the Saudi Coffee Company, which promotes Saudi Khulani coffee beans, and the Halal Products Development Company, which invests in the halal products sector.

The new company will focus on sustainability throughout all the stages of production, distribution and marketing, and raise awareness of the health benefits of camel dairy products among consumers, the PIF said.

Camel milk's nutritional benefits include high amounts of minerals and vitamins such as A, B, E and C. It is also rich in calcium, protein and antioxidants. Camel milk is also considered low in cholesterol and is easy to digest.

Sawani will also showcase the history and cultural heritage of camel husbandry within Saudi Arabia.

"A key part of the company’s strategy is to increase awareness and knowledge of the industry in order to preserve it, as well as driving sustainable growth through the introduction of the best scientific practices in modern manufacturing technologies at the local level," the PIF said.

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  Saudi Arabia has unveiled what it says is the world's first camel hotel. All photos: Saudi Camel Club

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  It is to house and groom camels during the sixth King Abdul Aziz Camel Festival.

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  The hotel is called Tetaman (rest assured) and has 120 'rooms'.

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  Mohammed Al Harbi, the official spokesman for the Saudi Camel Club, said that the camel hotel provides a 5-star service to its guests.

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  The camel festival brings together owners and enthusiasts from the Gulf, the US, Australia, France and Russia.

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  The festival attracts more than 100,000 visitors a day from around the world and seeks to preserve the camel’s role in Saudi Arabia’s Bedouin tradition.

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  Staff prepare meals for the camels, including hot milk, in addition to making sure the stables are clean and warm.

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  A one-night stay costs 500 Saudi riyals ($133).

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  Camel breeding is a multimillion-dollar industry, and the animals need to be kept in top condition.