Estidamah in drive to boost Saudi agriculture, food security

Estidamah in drive to boost Saudi agriculture, food security

The National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture (Estidamah), a standalone not-for-profit research centre based in Saudi Arabia, has embarked on a digital transformation drive to enhance its capabilities, help boost the local farmer’s output and support the kingdom’s agriculture and food security and sustainability ambitions. Estidamah conducts applied research, adopts and tests innovative technologies that will contribute to sustainable agriculture, with the main aim being to increase crop production per unit area, boost water-use efficiency, in addition to localising modern cultivation technologies. As part of its digital transformation, the centre has engaged the services of IT services, consulting and business solutions organisation Hilal Computers for its next-generation digital infrastructure and cyber security services and Germany-based software solutions corporation SAP SE for ERP solutions. As part of the order, Hilal Computers is providing Estidamah with Dell infrastructure comprising Dell VxRail servers for its data centres. The tech refresh order involves installing new-generation systems and migrating all of the centre’s data into the new environment. The company is also providing cyber security services to ensure Estidamah’s compliance with the Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) regulations. Spearheading Estimadah’s digital transformation drive is Haitham Alghamdi, Head of Information Technology, who has been