King orders loan waiver for 38,774 drought-affected farmers

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has approved exemption of farmers of the Arabian Shield regions from re-payment of loans taken from the Agricultural Development Fund.

As many as 38,774 farmers will benefit from the waiver of loans amounting to a total of SR1.21 billion, according to Abdurahman Al-Fadhli, minister of environment, water and agriculture.

The King’s approval came following a recommendation submitted by a committee which was constituted to carry out studies about the farms affected by drought in these regions. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency, Al-Fadhli, who is also chairman of the board of directors of the Agricultural Development Fund, said that the royal approval covers all recommendations made by the committee. He also thanked the King, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman for their continuous support for the agricultural field.

Muneer Al-Sohli, director general of the Fund, said that a total of 38,774 farmers from the Arabian Shield regions are the beneficiaries of the loan waiver. These included provinces of Makkah, Asir, Al-Baha, Jazan, parts of Madinah, Riyadh, Al-Qassim, Hail and Tabuk.