Abstract
Apiculture (or beekeeping) is a highly profitable industry in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi national government has recognized the sector as having the potential to grow and improve the quality of life in rural areas. To expand the industry, Saudi government officials and academics are calling for beekeepers to switch from using traditional hives to moveable-frame box hives and from keeping indigenous bees to importing foreign bees. Although both changes have been shown to increase honey productivity, they are opposed by most Saudi beekeepers and increase the risk for the spread of dangerous bee diseases. This paper explores Saudi arguments for and against the evolution of Saudi beekeeping practices and suggests two technological solutions that can improve honey productivity without increasing the risk for the spread of disease.
Recommended Citation
Poole, Ella M.
(2021)
"Beekeeping Practices and Challenges in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Adoption of New Technologies and Selection of Bee Species,"
RURALS: Review of Undergraduate Research in Agricultural and Life Sciences: Vol. 14:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/rurals/vol14/iss1/1