Jazan mountains transition to new development framework

Jazan mountains are moving toward a more diversified and sustainable economy following a developmental journey spanning nearly half a century. This transition begins with the Council of Ministers’ decision to abolish the Authority for the Development and Reconstruction of Mountainous Areas in the Jazan Region.

SPA reported that the tasks of the abolished authority have been transferred to the Strategic Office for the Development of the Jazan Region and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. This shift aims to integrate environmental and agricultural expertise with developmental planning and investment in economic and tourism assets.

The process started in 1396 AH with the establishment of the Faifa Area Development and Reconstruction Authority to address the specific needs of the mountainous terrain. In 1429 AH, a royal order renamed the entity to the Authority for the Development and Reconstruction of Mountainous Areas in the Jazan Region, expanding its scope to include Faifa, Al-Dayir, Al-Reeth, Harub, Al-Ardah, and Al-Aidabi.

The authority focused on agricultural research, specifically Saudi coffee, by proposing the Kingdom’s membership in the International Coffee Organization and registering promising coffee strains with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property. Efforts included distributing over one million coffee seedlings and providing sandalwood seedlings to farmers, utilizing plant tissue culture techniques to produce disease-free crops.