KAUST startup Red Sea Farms, the Saudi AgTech whose one-of-a-kind technology enables commercial farming in harsh environments globally, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SAUDIA – the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia.

The new partnership will provide SAUDIA guests with sustainable, high-quality, locally-sourced meal options both in-flight and at airport lounges – whilst simultaneously lowering food miles by replacing imports.

Red Sea Farms’ partnership with SAUDIA will assist the airline in achieving its goal of becoming an industry leader in sustainability, and continually improving its environmental performance. By partnering with the KAUST-based company, SAUDIA is able to serve Red Sea Farms’ snack tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers to guests.

“Sourcing from sustainable fruit and vegetables makes a significant environmental impact. If all tomatoes consumed annually in Saudi Arabia were grown with our cooling technology, 80,500 tons of CO2 emissions would be saved; the equivalent of over 3,000 flights from Riyadh to Dubai,” Simon Roopchand, Chief Executive Officer of Red Sea Farms the Middle East, said.

Red Sea Farms was founded in 2018 by AgTech expert Ryan Lefers and plant scientist and KAUST Professor Mark Tester. Red Sea Farms developed salt-tolerant vegetables and greenhouse technology to reduce the carbon footprint of food growth. Red Sea Farms also recently integrated Iyris—creating a full solution for sustainably powered greenhouses.