Al-Jouf Olive Groves

Al-Jouf in the far north has become the centre of Saudi olive growing, using deep groundwater and centre-pivot irrigation to plant orchards on a scale that runs into millions of trees, with the largest single estate here often cited as among the biggest olive farms anywhere. The crop is pressed locally and Jouf oil is sold across the country. The harvest runs from around October into December, when the groves are worked and the presses run, and an olive festival is held at Sakaka with tastings and sales. The sight of dense green orchards in open desert is the point, along with the questions the water use raises, which are discussed openly in the region.

Highlights

• The orchards - dense olive plantations across the desert plain.
• Harvest work - the picking and the presses running in season.
• The olive festival - the annual event at Sakaka with tastings.
• Irrigation systems - the centre-pivot and drip infrastructure.

When to go

October to December for the harvest and the festival, which is the only time there is activity to see. The rest of the year the groves are simply orchards. Winter nights in Al-Jouf are cold.

Good to know

The farms are commercial operations and visits need arranging rather than turning up. Outside harvest there is little to see. The groundwater use behind the plantations is not sustainable indefinitely and is debated. Al-Jouf is remote from other destinations.

Nearby

Sakaka lies at the centre; Dumat al-Jandal is west.