Measuring the Impact of Livestock Development on Local Red Meat Production and Food Security in Saudi Arabia

Given the growing concerns over water scarcity and the state’s emphasis on livestock sector development, this study aims to evaluate the effect of variations in livestock units (camels, cattle, goats, and sheep) on domestic red meat production and food security during the period 2000–2023, using economic equations and econometric analysis. This study revealed an increase in red meat production from 159.6 thousand tons in 2000 to 297.5 thousand tons in 2023, representing an annual growth rate of 2.9%. Sheep ranked first in red meat production, accounting for 47.0%, followed by camels at 23.1%, then cows and goats at 16.3% and 13.6%, respectively, during the period 2000–2023. Livestock development will also increase the number of animal units to 12.56 million by 2030, thereby increasing local red meat production from 345.01 thousand tons in 2024 to 578.47 thousand tons in 2030. Given the daily local consumption, the production sufficiency period is expected to increase, thus reducing the period of import coverage for local consumption. Livestock development will also increase both the strategic stock and the food security coefficient for red meat by rates of 110.4% and 51.6%, respectively. Finally, this study recommends the continued development of livestock through the Agricultural Development Fund’s provision of loans for livestock breeding and fattening, in addition to expanding the import of fodder grains and the manufacture of animal feed.