Najran's Al-Samraa brown wheat a popular choice for Ramadan preparations
Among the most popular type is the Al-Samraa brown wheat, known locally as Al-Bur Al-Najrani, a staple ingredient in numerous popular dishes such as the Raqsh and Wafd.
'The increased demand for Najrani wheat during Ramadan is attributed to its high quality, nutritional value, and health benefits,' SPA said, adding that the variety is rich in vitamins B and E, folic acid, zinc, and dietary fiber.
Al-Samraa is one of the 13 products in Saudi Arabia that had been chosen by the Slow Food's Ark of Taste, a US-based organization that catalogs 'delicious and distinctive foods facing extinction.'
'By identifying and championing these foods, we keep them in production and on our plates,' says the website of Slow Food, which has added more than 3,500 products from over 150 countries to its International Ark of Taste.
Earlier this month, the regional office of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) said Najran farmers expect to harvest their wheat crops in March. Crop planting began in early October, just before the onset of the winter season in the Kingdom.
Farmers told SPA that their Samraa wheat crops were cultivated without the use of chemicals and that advancements in agricultural machinery have enhanced efficiency and product quality.
Last year, the Najran brown wheat was featured in the inaugural Najran Wheat Festival organized by the MEWA and Social Development Bank to showcase the region's cultural heritage.
'This unhybridized, naturally grown wheat is a heritage we received from our ancestors,' farmer Mohammed Al-Mansour was quoted by SPA as saying.
'We use minimal irrigation to protect it from pests, ensuring its high quality,' Al-Mansour added.
According to the Cooperative Agricultural Association West of Najran, traditional wheat cultivation involved meticulous steps, requiring thorough land preparation and irrigation. Farmers also relied on animals for land preparation and harvesting. Wheat farming has been made easier today with the introduction of modern planting methods and use of advanced machineries.
Wheat farming has been made easier today with the introduction of modern planting methods and use of advanced machineries. (SPA)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
3 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia attracts 616 regional HQs of global companies by Q1 2025, says Media Minister
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's program to attract the regional headquarters of global companies has brought in 616 firms by the first quarter of 2025, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari said on Wednesday. The figure marks a rise from 571 companies in the previous quarter. Speaking at a press conference in Riyadh, Al-Dosari said the Kingdom is actively boosting startup growth and investment appeal, with commercial registrations reaching 1.7 million by mid-2025, up 13% year-on-year. Citing the 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report, he said Saudi Arabia's global ranking in entrepreneurship support jumped 60 places to 23rd, and five Saudi firms are poised to become unicorns. The Saudi Business Center and its online platform have delivered over 10 million services. In the industrial sector, the number of factories has grown from 7,200 before Vision 2030 to 12,500 by mid-2025, while industrial investment has climbed from SR955 billion to SR1.2 exports surged from SR178 billion to SR607 billion, with Saudi products now reaching more than 180 countries. The 'Made in Saudi' program has unlocked more than 3,000 export Saudi Industrial Development Fund issued SR4.5 billion in loans in the first half of the year, while the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones established around 2,200 ready-built factories to support investors and mining, Saudi Arabia advanced from 104th to 23rd in the global mining investment attractiveness index, with over 2,400 valid mining licenses issued by also highlighted health sector achievements, including Jeddah's recognition as the Middle East's first 'healthy city' of over one million residents by the World Health Organization, and the inclusion of seven Saudi hospitals in the 2025 global top 200 list. 'In the Kingdom, health is not just a sector but an investment in people and quality of life,' he announced that the Ministry of Media and Ministry of Education will launch a Media Scholarship Program to train Saudi students at leading universities and companies worldwide, with details to be revealed later.
Saudi Gazette
6 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi woman donates 80% of her liver to co-wife in rare act of generosity
Saudi Gazette report TAIF — In a remarkable display of sacrifice and compassion, a Saudi woman in Taif donated 80 percent of her liver to her husband's second wife, ending her long battle with kidney failure. Noura Salem Al-Shammari, the first wife of Majed Baldah Al-Roqi, stepped forward to help her co-wife, Taghreed Awadh Al-Saadi, after seeing her suffer from years of dialysis. The act has been hailed locally as an extraordinary gesture of selflessness. Al-Roqi told Okaz that his wife Taghreed had endured kidney failure for years and had traveled to the United States for a year in search of treatment, but without success. Upon her return to the Kingdom, Al-Roqi decided to donate one of his kidneys to ease her suffering. 'I entrusted Um Turki [Noura] with our five children in case anything happened to me during surgery,' he recalled. 'But I was surprised when she announced she would donate 80 percent of her liver to Taghreed, purely for the sake of God.' The transplant surgery was successful after medical tests confirmed tissue compatibility. 'She came like rain to revive barren desert,' Al-Roqi said of his first wife's life-saving gift.
Saudi Gazette
06-08-2025
- Saudi Gazette
Fakeeh group delivers 1H 2025 revenue of SR1.51 billion, up 13% year-on-year
Dr Soliman Abdel Kader Fakeeh Hospital Company and its Subsidiaries ('Fakeeh Care Group', 'FCG', 'Fakeeh Care', the 'Company' or the 'Group'), a leading fully integrated academic healthcare provider listed on TASI (SYMBOL: 4017 and ISIN code SA562GSHUOH7), announced its financial results[1] for the second quarter ended 30 June 2025. Growth during the quarter was supported by higher patient volumes and a richer case‑mix as activity normalized post‑Ramadan. The total number of patients served reached 465 thousand+ in 2Q‑2025 (+16% YoY), taking 1H‑2025 volumes to ~900 thousand (+8% YoY). Outpatient and inpatient volumes grew 15% and 16%, respectively, in the quarter translating into combined revenue growth of 18%. Pricing and case‑mix tailwinds added support to the average revenue per outpatient visit and inpatient admission contributing 3% YTD on a consolidated revenue level. Jeddah's double‑digit growth was central driver, complemented by accelerating throughput in Riyadh and early activity in Madinah. At the headline level, the Group delivered 2Q‑2025 revenue of SR812 million (+24% YoY) and Net Profit after Zakat of SR68 million (+59% YoY); 1H‑2025 revenue was SR1.51 billion (+13% YoY). Commenting on the Group's performance, FCG's President Dr. Mazen Soliman Fakeeh said: 'In the second quarter of the year, Fakeeh Care Group revenues reached to SR812 million, posting a solid 24% year on year growth thanks to a 16% year‑on‑year growth of patients served and a richer case mix. Jeddah's year-on-year expansion in census and revenue continues to demonstrate the strength of our brand and clinical depth, while Riyadh's disciplined ramp‑up continues to progress—together with the recently opened DSFH Madinah—our geographic reach continues to broaden. Our platform remained a robust earnings engine with Attributable to Shareholders profits reaching SR154 million in the first half (SR82M in 2Q25) or 28% up year-on-year, after absorbing the anticipated start‑up operating losses from ramping facilities—investments that are underpinning our multi‑year growth trajectory. In Riyadh, operational beds increased to 102 (from 71 a year earlier), supporting mid‑30% growth in outpatient and inpatient volumes and a sharp rise in surgical throughput as higher‑complexity services scale. In Madinah, the Group admitted its first patients in the initial 48 beds (of 200 beds) under a disciplined, quality‑first ramp that is expected to build steadily. In Jeddah, the flagship network remained the primary revenue center, sustaining double‑digit volume growth and strong pull‑through across service lines. The Group broke ground on DSFMC Al Zahraa in Jeddah—developed in partnership with Yasser Yousef Naghi Investment Company—a key spoke in the hub‑and‑spoke strategy. The center will bring comprehensive, high‑quality care closer to the community via one‑day surgical suites, a 24/7 emergency department, an integrated diagnostic hub, and key medical specializations. Dr. Mazen Soliman Fakeeh added: 'Our integrated ecosystem—with tertiary hospitals, medical centers, home healthcare, emergency medical services, medical education, technology and retail medical offerings that complete our service continuum—continues to differentiate Fakeeh Care. We continue to invest in our digital infrastructure, embedding tools that optimize patient journeys, enhance resource utilization, and reinforce our value-based care model, elevating patient reported outcomes.' 'Looking ahead, our priorities are clear: drive utilization across our ramping facilities with strategic case mix refinement in Jeddah and Riyadh; execute a disciplined, quality first ramp in Madinah; advance milestones across our growth agenda; and continue embedding digital and data driven workflows that unlock efficiency while elevating care standards. We aim to further broaden our preventative medicine and early intervention offerings, strengthening longitudinal patient engagement. Throughout, we remain disciplined in capital deployment—preserving a conservative balance sheet as we fund expansion and cement the foundation for a highly scalable and sustainably profitable healthcare ecosystem. With a resilient mature platform, a scalable operating model, and a deepening role in the Kingdom's healthcare transformation, we are well positioned to create enduring value for patients, staff, students, shareholders and the broader community.' he concluded. During the quarter, the Group achieved JCI Enterprise Accreditation, becoming the first private healthcare group in the Kingdom to earn system‑wide endorsement—validating governance, safety culture, standardized clinical pathways and enterprise risk systems, and ensuring the quality DNA of the flagship facilities scales consistently as the network grows. In parallel, Fakeeh Emergency Medical Services (MedE) supported the Kingdom's Hajj operations through the mobilization of ambulatory teams and ambulances and the CSR operation of Namira Hospital at peak demand, deepening the Group's partnership with national health authorities and reinforcing its role in serving broader societal needs. Fakeeh Care Group's complete 2Q-2025 Earnings Release with management's analysis of the Company's performance is available for download on
