Mohammed Al-Mahish

Private commercial credit and governmental funding play an essential role in increasing agricultural production, achieving food security and stabilizing domestic market prices. This study examined the influence of both private and public funding on the value of agricultural products in Saudi Arabia. Utilizing annual time series data from 1990 to 2022, the unit root test results indicated a mixed order of integration among the variables. Consequently, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) error correction model was used to assess the effects of financing and production inputs on the value of domestic agricultural output. The findings reveal that private funding exerts a positive effect on the value of agricultural products, whereas public funding does not demonstrate a similar positive contribution. This outcome is likely due to inefficiencies in the allocation of public funds by beneficiaries, with a significant portion directed towards foreign agricultural investments and import activities. Labor as a production factor was found to positively impact the value of agricultural output. This research has also explored the presence of economies of scale within the Saudi agricultural sector and concluded that the sector is currently experiencing diseconomies of scale. This paper recommends designing a policy that ensures that the allocated funds used in agricultural and food activities will eventually enhance the value of domestically produced food and agricultural commodities. It is very important to balance between increasing the available quantity of agricultural products through importing and protecting the value of domestically produced agricultural products.

Governmental organizations, projects, and initiatives in Saudi Arabia have focused specifically on the fisheries and the aquaculture sector to reduce reliance on imports, achieve self-sufficiency, and significantly contribute to food security. To accommodate the annual population increase, Saudi Arabia needs to enhance its fish production. This study aims to illustrate the impact of credit on the fisheries sector by examining the factors that affect fish output in Saudi Arabia, both in general and in specific contexts. The research employed annual time series data to estimate the Cobb–Douglas production function. The study computed the Cobb–Douglas model in an error correction format due to the stationarity characteristic of the data. The results show that fish production in Saudi Arabia is significantly enhanced by the number of fishermen, marine fisheries, aquaculture farms, and financial resources. Furthermore, the results reveal that economies of scale play a crucial role in the Saudi fishing industry. Nevertheless, since the data indicates that the influence of marine fisheries on fish output in Saudi Arabia in the long run surpasses that of aquaculture farms, the researchers recommend an increase in aquaculture production. Sustainable methods for fish production, such as minimizing overfishing and bycatch, improving water and environmental quality, and promoting the traceability of fish populations, should be prioritized in the advancement of the fisheries sector.

The prevalence of obesity in Saudi Arabia has been steadily increasing. This study aims to investigate the effects of urban population, national income, and waste emission shocks on obesity prevalence in Saudi Arabia. It utilizes annual time series data and applies the vector autoregressive (VAR) model, along with diagnostic tests including Granger causality, impulse response functions (IRFs), and forecast error variance decompositions (FEVDs). The results confirm that urban population and national income are the primary drivers of obesity prevalence in Saudi Arabia. Granger causality was observed between obesity, urban population, and waste emissions. The cumulative effects of shocks to the urban population, national income, and waste emissions significantly influence variations in obesity prevalence over time. The forecast error variance of obesity can be attributed mainly to urban population shocks. Policymakers should prioritize integrated urban planning, economic, and environmental strategies that promote healthy lifestyles, reduce socioeconomic disparities, and ensure sustainable living conditions. Coordinated efforts among public health, urban development, and economic sectors are essential to address obesity and its underlying determinants.

Chicken eggs are a staple food widely consumed directly or indirectly (as an ingredient in other food items) in Saudi Arabia. Due to the importance of eggs in Saudi consumers’ diet, this study aimed to determine the sociodemographic factors affecting Saudi consumer demand for eggs and how changes in egg prices and consumer income may influence dietary intake derived from eggs. This study analyzes survey data from 466 respondents. We used a double-log demand model to obtain the price and income elasticities of egg demand. The results show that the price elasticity of egg demand is negative and inelastic, indicating that changes in egg price have a small influence on egg demand. Additionally, income elasticity is positive and <1, implying that eggs are a necessary food item. Cross-price elasticities show that cheese and milk complement egg consumption. Meanwhile, cornflakes (a breakfast cereal) were found to be a good substitute for eggs. Furthermore, the results show that consumer demand for eggs is expected to increase as household size increases. Women exhibited a higher demand for eggs, compared with men. Nutrient income elasticity shows that an increase in consumer income increases protein, fat, and calorie intake from eggs. Nutrient price elasticity shows that an increase in egg price has the greatest negative influence on protein intake, resulting from a decrease in egg consumption. This study recommends that decision makers actively monitor egg prices and take all necessary actions to prevent spikes in egg prices, as this will improve nutritional and food security and help consumers maintain a stable protein intake from egg consumption.

This research aimed to provide a better understanding and analysis of consumer patterns relative to behavioral preferences in the Saudi cooperative motor insurance market. This aim was motivated by the fact that customers’ preferences have been underexplored in this market. Thus, this paper applied a multi-attributes decision analysis methodology to analyze the decision process of purchasing or retaining cooperative motor insurance based on a discrete choice experiment and a choice-based conjoint analysis. The methodology was conducted via a designed questionnaire that asked 385 customers in the Eastern Region to choose between a finite set of decision purchase options that varied along three key attributes: type of coverage, availability of discount, and insurance premium. Sample results showed that the most important attributes were the insurance premium, followed by the type of coverage. The availability of a discount was the least important attribute; however, compared with men, women placed a higher importance on coverage and discounts. The findings can be valuable to policymakers and managers of insurance companies in designing new characteristics for cooperative motor insurance products in Saudi Arabia in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. JEL Classification: C9, D7, C13, G22

Purpose. This study examines the causal relationship between total expenditures and food availability and identifies their shocks in food availability in Saudi Arabia. Methodology / approach. The study uses a multivariate modeling technique of the Vector Autoregression (VAR) and its environment, the Granger Causality Test, Forecast Error Variance Decomposition (FEVD), and Impulse Response Function (IRF) for the observation period of 2000–2020 in Saudi Arabia. Results. The results of the Granger causality show that investment expenditure has a significant impact on food availability in Saudi Arabia. However, consumption and government expenditures do affect food availability in Saudi Arabia, but have an indirect effect. The Impulse Response Functions show that the shocks of the selected variables require a long period to reach the long-run equilibrium level and the greatest response of the food availability variable is explained by its own shock and investment expenditure shocks. Originality / scientific novelty. The novelty of this study is related to the investigation of a new model and focus on a new perspective. While traditional food security research has mostly concentrated on agricultural production, availability, and accessibility of food, as well as nutrition and health outcomes factors, this research conveys a new dimension by highlighting the link between total expenditure and food security. Their contribution expands the scope of food security research and highlights the impact of recognising the role of total expenditure in implementing and supporting food security at the household level. Practical value / implications. It is important to design strategies and develop a budgeting plan to allocate a reasonable portion of total consumption and government expenditures on food items. Adding, regularly reviewing, and adapting the budgeting plan based on new challenges, and evolving priorities are essential to address the dynamic nature of food security.

Dairy farming plays a crucial role in Saudi Arabia’s agricultural industry. However, the intensive milk production process exerts pressure on local water and energy resources. This study aims to examine the impact of water stress and renewable energy consumption shocks on milk production in Saudi Arabia by using data from 2000 to 2021. The empirical analysis used the VAR model, Granger causality, forecast error variance decompositions (FEVDs), and impulse response functions (IRFs). The presence of a negative significant interdependence between total milk production and water stress levels in agriculture was observed. Significant bidirectional causality relationships among the variables were noted. The FEVD results show that water stress levels in agriculture are becoming a more dominant driver of variations in total milk production in Saudi Arabia, while the empirical evidence of the IRFs implies that milk production increases when both water stress levels and renewable energy are present. The adoption of water recycling and reuse systems on dairy farms can help farmers to improve water use efficiency. The encouragement of decision makers to formulate policies to support sustainable water resource management, reduce environmental impact, accelerate technological advancements, and initiate positive socioeconomic outcomes for the dairy industry is highly recommended.

The relationship between roast level and coffee quality indicators has been widely examined in the food science literature. However, published studies in the economics and business fields have not yet explored the effects of this relationship on the price of specialty coffee beans. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the factors that influence the retail prices of specialty coffee beans. Specifically, this paper examines the impact of the size of a coffee bean bag, and the aroma, acidity, body, flavor, and aftertaste rating of the coffee on the retail price of coffee beans. The sample of this study consisted of 1,601 observations collected from expert sensory evaluators as well as customer ratings. The results show that the selling price is reduced when the size of the coffee bean bag increases. Coffee beans originating from Asia, Central, and South America are, on average, more highly-priced than those from Africa. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the existence of a significant interaction between quality attributes and roasting level, which ultimately affects the sale price of specialty coffee beans. This study recommends that, to ensure their coffee is accurately priced, sellers of specialty coffee beans should attempt to collect as much feedback from consumers as possible, including aftertaste, and flavor ratings, which exert the strongest influence on the selling price.

This study examines the attributes of date palm fruits that influence consumer purchasing decisions and measures the attributes’ relative importance weights for understanding consumption patterns relative to the cultivation areas. A case study was conducted for a selected date fruit, Khalas, which is cultivated in Saudi Arabia and ranked first in the world in exported dates. Our empirical investigation is based on utilizing a proposed quantitative analysis that integrated the entropy weighting method and binary logit models. With this survey design, 486 questionnaires were collected. Analysis results revealed a ranking list of preferred attributes, with size, mellowness, price, and color being the most valued. However, this ranking list fluctuates when different cultivated types of Khalas dates are available. The results also showed that consumption patterns may change in terms of preference index and shopping location. The paper concludes with a discussion of managerial implications, limitations, and future research directions.