Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Amidst the futuristic gleam of Saudi Vision 2030, a bold prediction has taken root: within five years, this desert kingdom will blossom into the epicentre of global food innovation, straddling the modern Silk Road. The pronouncement, delivered by Industry 4.0 visionary Henrik von Scheel at the Saudi Food Manufacturing 2025 summit in Riyadh, underscores the electrifying momentum propelling the nation’s ambitious agricultural transformation.
The summit, a melting pot of regional titans, international experts, and tech pioneers, witnessed a confident assertion of Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning role in reshaping Middle Eastern and global food production. Against a backdrop of over SAR 90 billion earmarked for food and agriculture, and a staggering 7.3% annual growth in the sector, the Kingdom is cultivating more than just crops – it’s nurturing a reputation as a regional powerhouse of innovation.
At the heart of this revolution, according to Jay Gadhavi, General Manager of KROHNE Middle East, lies the often-unseen but utterly crucial realm of precision measurement technology. KROHNE, a German industrial giant with a century of expertise, championed the idea that the bedrock of a secure and sustainable food future is the ability to generate reliable, actionable data. Their presence at the summit wasn’t just about showcasing cutting-edge instruments; it was about highlighting their pivotal role in bridging the lofty goals of Vision 2030 with tangible progress on the factory floor.
“Saudi Arabia isn’t just getting bigger; it’s stepping onto the world stage as a leader in food innovation, connecting economies along the Silk Road,” asserted Gadhavi. “At KROHNE, we firmly believe that measurement is the silent architect of this transformation. The power to generate trustworthy data is what underpins safer, more sustainable, and ultimately more efficient food systems.”
KROHNE’s sophisticated instrumentation is empowering producers to achieve a level of traceability, efficiency, and quality that stretches from the rawest ingredients to the final packaged product. At the summit, they illuminated real-world applications that are already yielding impressive results: in sugar production, intelligent steam optimisation, powered by precise measurement, is slashing energy consumption by up to 20% while refining the crucial °Brix control. Meanwhile, in the intricate world of fermentation, inline pH monitoring is dramatically reducing batch failures – by as much as 40% – leading to higher yields and less waste.
These advancements are becoming increasingly vital as regional producers strive to not only meet stringent international food safety standards but also to embrace operational sustainability – a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s long-term vision.
Ryan Kromhout, KROHNE’s Global Food Industry Expert, injected a dose of human-centric realism into the technological optimism during a panel discussion. “You can install the most advanced systems imaginable,” he cautioned, “but without a workforce that understands and trusts the data they provide, genuine change simply won’t materialise. Digital transformation must be a cultural shift as much as a technical one.”
This sentiment resonated throughout the summit halls, with a palpable consensus among experts that aligning people, processes, and purpose is the essential recipe for achieving the region’s ambitious food security objectives.
For KROHNE, a family-owned entity that has weathered a century of industrial evolution, this commitment to Saudi Arabia’s transformation is deeply rooted. As partners in sustainability initiatives like the AHK’s Sustainability Series and members of the UN Global Compact UAE chapter and IRENA’s Alliance for Industry Decarbonisation, their focus extends beyond mere profit. Their ECOVADIS Silver certification further underscores their dedication to responsible practices.
Ultimately, KROHNE’s message was clear: their highly-engineered measurement solutions are not just about monitoring processes; they are about empowering the next generation of food producers across the Gulf Cooperation Council and the ancient Silk Road to make informed, sustainable decisions that benefit both people and planet. As the desert kingdom embraces its destiny as a future food hub, the quiet precision of measurement technology is proving to be an indispensable ally in this remarkable journey.
