IYWF: From tradition to opportunity: Empowering women through dairy value addition in Saudi Arabia

31/08/2026

As the world marks the International Year of the Woman Farmer in 2026, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is highlighting the critical role women play in global agrifood systems. In Saudi Arabia, this commitment is being brought to life through initiatives that empower rural women, turning traditional knowledge into sustainable livelihoods and new economic opportunities.

In the Northern Border Region's Arar Governorate, a predominantly livestock-based rural economy with approximately 2.8 million sheep and goats forms the backbone of household livelihoods. The majority of producers belong to Bedouin communities whose traditional pastoral systems are gradually transitioning toward more settled production models. However, this transformation has not been accompanied by adequate improvements in farm management practices, resulting in persistent productivity gaps and limited value capture. Field consultations indicated that substantial quantities of small-ruminant milk and wool remain underutilized due to limited aggregation, processing and organized market access. Women, actively involved in animal care and the preparation of traditional dairy products, remain largely marginalized within formal market systems.

To tackle these constraints, the Saudi Rural Agricultural Development Programme (SRAD) implemented a six-month capacity development programme for 20 women livestock producers in Arar Governorate. Technical advisory support, including programme design and capacity building, was provided by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA). As part of its technical assistance, FAO provided expert-led training and advisory services on animal care, milk handling and hygienic processing, while also developing the programme curriculum and facilitating practical exposure through a study tour.

The intervention focused on strengthening milk value addition and wool utilization, while promoting improved hygiene, product diversification and enterprise development. Participants learned improved milk handling, hygienic processing and techniques for producing value-added products such as ghee (clarified butter), traditional cheeses and dried milk products. They also gained practical exposure to wool processing, including yarn spinning and traditional wool product preparation.

To strengthen collective engagement, FAO supported the formation of an informal women’s group modelled on a cooperative structure, initially bringing together  twelve women andproviding a platform for aggregation, knowledge exchange and improved market access. This work is part of FAO's broader WARFA (Women's Agrifood Rural Advancement) initiative, a framework for empowering women across agricultural value chains through technical training, peer learning and cooperative development.

For women such as Um Majed, these new skills have translated into tangible economic opportunities. In Arar Governorate, Um Majed, a small-scale livestock herder, traditionally sold her milk in raw form, generating limited income. Following her participation in the FAO-supported programme, she learned hygienic processing techniques and began producing higher- quality ghee, traditional cheeses and dried milk, adding value to the milk she produces. In addition, she revived and strengthened her traditional wool spinning skills, transforming a previously underutilized by-product into an additional income stream. Today, Um Majed markets a diversified range of processed dairy and wool products in women's markets and local community outlets.

"Now I can sell my cheese and ghee at the market, and people know my name. My family is proud of me, and I feel like I am contributing to our future," she says.

Her story reflects a wider transformation. Many participants report increased confidence, stronger business skills and greater visibility within their communities and local markets. The Arar experience demonstrates how combining technical support to improve product quality, packaging and branding with value-chain development and collective organization can unlock economic potential while strengthening rural women's participation in local agrifood systems. FAO's ongoing collaboration with SRAD continues to support the scale-up of these approaches, helping Saudi Arabia advance its Vision 2030 goals by building more resilient and inclusive agrifood systems. 

As Saudi Arabia advances Vision 2030 and global efforts continue to champion women's empowerment, the women of Arar offer a powerful reminder: when rural women gain access to skills, markets and opportunities, they can turn generations of knowledge into sources of income, while preserving heritage, strengthening local economies and contributing to more resilient food systems for future generations.

The WARFA (Women’s Agrifood Rural Advancement) initiative, developed under the FAO-supported Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development Programme in Saudi Arabia, serves as a framework for women’s empowerment across agricultural value chains. WARFA brings together technical training, peer-to-peer learning, cooperative development and market-oriented skills under one umbrella. By combining hands-on capacity development with community-based knowledge sharing, the model enables rural women to transition from informal production to more structured, market-oriented activities, while ensuring sustainability through local ownership and replication.