Understanding the Landscape of Leveraging IoT for Sustainable Growth in Saudi Arabia

TL;DR

This paper examines how IoT can support sustainable agriculture in Saudi Arabia by analyzing current adoption, challenges, and potential benefits for farmers facing environmental and resource-related issues.

Contribution

It provides an empirical analysis of IoT adoption among Saudi farmers, highlighting barriers and opportunities for smart farming in a challenging environment.

Findings

90% of farmers face farming challenges

60% of farmers currently use IoT technologies

Smart farming can mitigate weather, water, and labor issues

Abstract

The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in agriculture holds promise for transforming farming practices, particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This study explores the adoption of smart farming practices among KSA farmers. Due to the geographical location and nature of KSA, it faces significant challenges in agriculture. The objective of this research is to discuss how IoT will enhance agriculture in KSA and identify its current usage by conducting a study on Saudi farmers with varying ages, regions, and years of experience. The results indicate that 90% of the farmers encounter challenges in farming, and all of them express interest in adopting smart farming to address these issues. While 60% of farmers are currently utilizing IoT technologies, they encounter challenges in implementing smart farming practices. Thus, smart farming presents solutions to prevalent challenges including adverse weather, water scarcity, and labor shortages, though barriers include cost and educational challenges.