# Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (Saudi Arabia)

The Ministry of Environment Water and Agriculture (MEWA; Arabic: وزارة البيئة والمياه والزراعة), is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia responsible for the achievement of sustainability of the environment and natural resources in the Kingdom. The ministry also is in charge of developing and applying policies that contribute to achieving water and food security. The current Minister is Abdulrahman Al-Fadli who was appointed as the Minister of Agriculture on 15 January 2015 and kept his position after the amending the name of the Ministry to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in May 2016.

## History

In 1947, the directorate general for Agriculture was established under the Ministry of Finance, and was assigned the responsibilities of agriculture such as improving lands and irrigation and building dams. This entity was later transformed into the Ministry of Agriculture and Water in 1953 and Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was appointed the Minister of Agriculture in 1953. His tenure lasted until 1955. In 2002, the water sector was separated from the ministry and became the Ministry of Agriculture. However, in 2016, the name of the Ministry of Agriculture was amended again to the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

## Objectives

The ministry has objectives regarding the environment water and agriculture. These objectives include the development and preservation of the environment and natural resources. And also the achievement of the water and food security.

## Deputy ministries

* Directorate of Environment.
* Directorate of Water.
* Directorate of Agriculture.
* Directorate of Land & Survey.
* Directorate of Animal Resources.
* Directorate of Planning & Budget.
* Directorate of Shared Services.
* Directorate of Economic Affairs and Investment.

## Departments

* Plant Health Department

## List of ministers

| Islamic calendar | Islamic calendar | Gregorian calendar | Gregorian calendar | Minister | Arabic | Observations |
| Designated | Left post | Designated | Left post | Minister | Arabic | Observations |
| 18/04/1373H | 20/03/1375H | December 25, 1953 | November 5, 1955 | Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | سلطان بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود | |
| 20/03/1375H | 05/06/1375H | November 5, 1955 | January 18, 1956 | Abdul Aziz Al-Sudairi | عبد العزيز السديري | The vacancy of a month and a half in that Ministry, caused by the death on' November 30, 1955 of Sayyid 'Abd al-Aziz al-Sudairi, was thereby filled. The two Sudoiris were brothers. |
| 05/06/1375H | 03/07/1380H | January 18, 1956 | December 22, 1960 | Khalid Al-Sudairi | خالد السديري | |
| 03/07/1380H | 09/10/1381H | December 22, 1960 | March 16, 1962 | Abdullah Al-Dabbagh | عبدالله الدباغ | |
| 09/10/1381H | 03/06/1382H | March 16, 1962 | November 1, 1962 | Abdulrahman Al-Sheikh | عبدالرحمن الشيخ | |
| 03/06/1382H | 21/04/1384H | November 1, 1962 | August 19, 1964 | Ibrahim Al-Swailem | إبراهيم السويلم | |
| 21/04/1384H | 08/10/1395H | August 19, 1964 | October 14, 1975 | Hassan Al-Mishari | حسن المشاري | |
| 08/10/1395H | 05/06/1415H | October 14, 1975 | November 9, 1994 | Abdulrahman Al-Sheikh | عبدالرحمن الشيخ | |
| 05/06/1415H | 05/03/1416H | November 9, 1994 | August 2, 1995 | Abdulaziz Al-Khuwaiter | عبدالعزيز الخويطر | |
| 06/03/1416H | 05/03/1424H | August 2, 1995 | May 6, 2002 | Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Muammar | عبدالله بن عبدالعزيز بن معمر | |
| 06/03/1424H | 16/02/1436H | May 7, 2003 | December 8, 2014 | Fahd bin Abdul Rahman Balghunaim | فهد بن عبد الرحمن بالغنيم | |
| 17/02/1436H | 16/04/1436H | December 9, 2014 | February 5, 2015 | Waleed A. Elkhereiji | وليد علي الخريجي | |
| 17/04/1436H | | February 6, 2015 | | Abdulrahman Al Fadli | عبدالرحمن الفضلي | |