4IR On Your Plate: The Future Of Food
Emerging technologies have a relationship with ending hunger and promoting food security as much as they have with our well-being and happiness.
Every pantry and store in the GCC has products from around the world, from cheeses to chocolates to cereals. The region imports upwards of 80 percent of food products. Saudi Arabia, however, is one of the largest producers of its own food in this region, and a technological helping hand would only enhance this standing.
In Saudi Arabia, we are also among the world’s early adopters of technology, using the internet of things (IoT), robotics, blockchain, geological surveying via drones, and artificial intelligence (AI) to boost production efficiency, reduce costs, and promote sustainability. The recent 2025 Emerging Technology Adoption Readiness Index ranked the Kingdom at almost 75 percent in adoption of technology by government departments.
A combination of these two factors is helping Saudi Arabia lead the region into the future of food. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or 4IR, the term given to the next phase in the digitization of the manufacturing sector, has a lot of potential for use in the food sector as well. Globally, data shows that the integration of 4IR technologies such as augmented reality, AI for weather prediction, traceability and tracking, smart logistics solutions, and IoT into our food systems can transform agriculture to produce up to 70 percent of food for 9.1 billion people by 2050.
The National Industrial Strategy of Saudi Arabia, launched in 2023 under the Council of Economic and Social Affairs, has a significant focus on food. The target of US$20 billion worth investments in the food industry sector by 2035 will support the development of dairy, bakery, sweets, and beverages sectors, among others. A projected 1.4 percent increase in consumer spending on food and beverages, driven in part by population growth of 1.73 percent, augurs well for the industry.
The announcement of the world’s largest food cluster is not only a matter of a record, but also has direct impact on efficiency and food security. Integration of services and optimized supply chains are expected to reduce operational costs in the range of 5-12 percent.
High-Tech Meets High-Taste
4IR changes affect every aspect of the food sector, including the production of biscuits and snacks. For instance, bolstered by AI, sensors can check the temperature, humidity, and amount of sunlight in production farms and throughout the value chain to boost productivity. Similarly, during production, use of 4IR minimizes food loss by using modular discharge systems that address mechanical stress and reduce breakage.
Intelligent systems can also vary production based on the load, bringing flexibility and efficiency to the process. Precision control of temperature and airflow creates a stable and predictable environment to optimize production. Innovations in packaging ensure that it is recyclable, reusable, or compostable, thus ensuring planet's health.
However, when it comes to snacks, personal health is in focus too. It is important to understand the relationship of food with emotion and well-being. The smell of a freshly baked biscuit wafting near a bakery, the satisfying crunch of crisps fresh out of a pack, the texture of dates as they ripen, the cold sweetness of the first dollop of ice cream, all tell us that eating is a multi-sensory experience involving not just taste but also sight, smell, hearing, and touch.
As we stride into the future, a holistic understanding of how we can deploy technology across the value chain from farm to plate not only makes better commercial sense but also increases the efficiency of our food systems. This enhances food security for the country and region, and it also increases the consumer’s health and enjoyment.
About The Author
Mohammed Alakeel is the CEO of United Food Industries Corporation (Deemah).
