Whether it’s sandy beaches, natural wonders, desert excursions, or even popular cafes, Saudi Arabia is becoming famous for many of its tourist destinations. But, if you're looking for a place that brings you a fresh perspective on things and takes you closer to the source of wellbeing, you should definitely visit Zaytuna Farm, the first terraced farm with a relaxing atmosphere, perfect for any visitor.
Taking up an area of 150,000 square meters, Zaytuna Farm is situated in Al Baha, a city in the west of Saudi Arabia in the Hejaz area. The key feature of the farm as mentioned earlier are its terraced fields located around Sarawat Mountains. Indeed, this agricultural landscape is ideal for growing crops on mountainous terrains and effective in preventing erosion and water loss. The farm boasts a total of 22 varieties of fresh produce, such as strawberries, pomegranates, grapes, and figs. For irrigation, three tanks are used for simply storing rainwater, with certain crops like strawberries are grown by using hydroponics.
Usually, people assume that olive trees can only grow around the Mediterranean but, in fact, Zaytuna Farm is home to over 4,000 olive trees, which are the farm's main attraction and produce. It all started when the farm's owner, Dr. Saleh bin Abbas Al Hafez, decided to plant olive tree saplings between one and three years old. Today, these olive trees are the farm's primary source of quality olives and olive oil, which are sold within Saudi Arabia and to other countries. The farm follows the 4th century BC approach of extracting olive oil, and using squashed olives for further extractions.
Zaytuna Farm isn't just popular for its produce. It also has honey apiaries, a horse stable, and a barley farm. Flowers are grown to help boost honey production (and provide an inviting environment for birds), in addition to trees such as the jojoba trees for extracting oil used for skin care. The farm also adopts sustainable practices such as implementing renewable and solar energy, all in an effort to go green. Indeed, Zaytuna Farm is an ideal tourist destination for its mountain scenery, and glimpse into the life of a farmer. It is open to visitors from 8 AM to 5 PM.
