Organizational Affiliations:
Directly related to the Deputy Minister for Agriculture.
Overall Objective:
Planning, developing, monitoring and evaluating agricultural research and extension.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
1. Developing mechanisms, frameworks, standards and methodologies for agricultural research activities in coordination with the technical agencies in the Ministry.
2. Developing plans, programs, requirements and agricultural research agenda that serve the interests of the Ministry and the beneficiaries in coordination with the concerned organizational units.
3. Coordinating with different organizational units in the central agency and regional agencies to identify research needs.
4. Building a database for research studies and providing them to the technical agencies upon request.
5. Building research partnerships with Saudi universities and global research centers to serve the interests of the Ministry and the agriculture sector.
6. Supervising research activities and ensuring their compatibility with the policies and procedures adopted to achieve the desired goals.
7. Direct supervision over the planning and implementation of agricultural research in agricultural research centers of the Ministry.
8. Representing the Ministry locally and internationally through participating in the planning of research policies and directions related to the agriculture sector with the participation of universities, international bodies and organizations and others.
9. Sharing knowledge generated by research activities with agricultural extension agents to achieve the objectives of the Ministry.
10. Developing standards and controls for the pilot administrative fields in all regions of the Kingdom to apply the results of research activities according to the comparative advantage of the regions.
11. Developing standards and guidelines for educating guides such as aquaculture and livestock projects.
12. Identifying and integrating leading practices and modern agricultural techniques and methods in extension services provided to beneficiaries.
13. Selecting awareness programs in accordance with the leading practices (greenhouses).
14. Ensuring the quality of extension services in the regions which are provided by third parties, as well as their conformity with standards, controls and policies.
15. Developing standards, controls and policies of extensional services for beneficiaries, including fisheries and veterinary extension services (organic and biological).
16. Developing plans for the issuance and distribution of awareness leaflets, posters, brochures and films.