Arabian Records (1st post : Eid Al Fitr – 01st Shawwal 1439 (AH) / 15th June 2018 ) / (BETA testing – Research – starting April 2020 till date, on-going)

For generations, rural households in Tunisia have burned olive waste for cooking and heating, or used it as animal feed

The International Olive Council estimated Tunisia will be the world’s third-largest olive oil producer in 2024-2025, with an expected yield of 340,000 tons

In a northern Tunisian olive grove, Yassine Khelifi’s small workshop hums as a large machine turns olive waste into a valuable energy source in a country heavily reliant on imported fuel.

Holding a handful of compacted olive residue — a thick paste left over from oil extraction — Khelifi said: “This is what we need today. How can we turn something worthless into wealth?“

For generations, rural households in Tunisia have burned olive waste for cooking and heating, or used it as animal feed.

The International Olive Council estimated Tunisia will be the world’s third-largest olive oil producer in 2024-2025, with an expected yield of 340,000 tons.
The waste generated by the oil extraction is staggering.

Khelifi, an engineer who grew up in a family of farmers, founded Bioheat in 2022 to tackle the issue. He recalled watching workers in olive mills use the olive residue as fuel.

“I always wondered how this material could burn for so long without going out,” he said. “That’s when I asked myself: ‘Why not turn it into energy?’“
Beyond profit, Khelifi hopes his startup helps “reducing the use of firewood as the country faces deforestation and climate change.”
At his workshop, employees transport truckloads of olive waste, stacking it high before feeding it into the processing machines.

The material is then compacted into cylindrical briquettes and left to dry for a month under the sun and in greenhouses before its packaging and sale.

Khelifi began developing his idea in 2018 after he traveled across Europe searching for a machine to turn the olive paste into long-burning fuel.

Unable to find the right technology, he returned to Tunisia and spent four years experimenting with various motors and mechanical parts.

By 2021, he had developed a machine that produced briquettes with just eight-percent moisture.
He said this amount sign

ificantly reduces carbon emissions compared to firewood, which requires months of drying and often retains more than double the amount of moisture.

Bioheat found a market among Tunisian restaurants, guesthouses, and schools in underdeveloped regions, where winter temperatures at times drop below freezing.
But the majority of its production — about 60 percent — is set for exports to France and Canada, Khelifi said.

The company now employs 10 people and is targeting production of 600 tons of briquettes in 2025, he added.

Selim Sahli, 40, who runs a guesthouse, said he replaced traditional firewood with Khelifi’s briquettes for heating and cooking. “It’s an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative,” he said. “It’s clean, easy to use, and has reduced my heating costs by a third.”

Mohamed Harrar, the owner of a pizza shop on the outskirts of Tunis, praised the briquettes for reducing smoke emissions, which he said previously irritated his neighbors. “Besides, this waste carries the soul of Tunisian olives and gives the pizza a special flavour,” he added.

Given Tunisia’s significant olive oil production, waste byproducts pose both a challenge and an opportunity.

Noureddine Nasr, an agricultural and rural development expert, said around 600,000 tons of olive waste is produced annually. “Harnessing this waste can protect the environment, create jobs, and generate wealth,” he said. Nasr believes repurposing olive waste could also help alleviate Tunisia’s heavy dependence on imported fuel.

The country imports more than 60 percent of its energy needs, a reliance that widens its trade deficit and strains government subsidies, according to a 2023 World Bank report.

Fuel and gas shortages are common during winter, particularly in Tunisia’s northwestern provinces, where households struggle to keep warm.
Redirecting agricultural waste into alternative energy sources could ease this burden.

Yet for entrepreneurs like Khelifi, launching a startup in Tunisia is fraught with challenges.

“The biggest hurdle was funding,” he said, lamenting high-interest bank loans. “It felt like walking on a road full of potholes.” But now his goal is “to leave my mark as a key player in Tunisia’s transition to clean energy,” he added. “And hopefully, the world’s, too.”

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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A man arranges rolls of olive pomace at the grounds of start-up Bioheat, on Mar. 3, 2025 in the town of SanHajja near Tunis. (AFP)

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TUNISIA

Consumers buy in large quantities, as chocolates are a key part of Eid celebrations

Prices vary based on the type, origin, packaging and serving plates

 The sweets and chocolate market is growing, driven by rising consumer demand for diverse options, high chocolate demand and special Eid Al-Fitr promotions that boost sales.

According to the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Kingdom’s chocolate imports exceeded 123 million kg in 2024, reflecting increased demand, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The UAE, the UK, Jordan, Egypt and Turkiye are among the main countries from which the Kingdom imports chocolate, offering a variety of products to meet consumer expectations.

Shops are eager to offer a wide range of locally manufactured and imported sweets and chocolates. Consumers buy in large quantities, as chocolates are a key part of Eid celebrations.
Prices vary base

d on the type, origin, packaging and serving plates. Local sweets range from SR30 ($8) to SR150 per kg, including candies, toffee, biscuits and chocolates.

The authority attributed price stability to abundant production and low manufacturing costs, though imported sweets, especially from Europe and the East, are pricier. Pure or dark chocolate with special fillings can cost up to SR300 per kg.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture has announced the Kingdom’s inaugural participation at the 24th International Exhibition at the Triennale Milano design museum in Italy later this year, with a pavilion dedicated to the agricultural oasis of Al-Ahsa.

Curated by Lulu Almana and Sara Al-Omran, with Alejandro Stein as creative director, the exhibition is hosted by the Architecture and Design Commission and will be titled “Maghras: A Farm for Experimentation.” It will run from May 13 – Nov. 9.

It will explore the intersection of farming traditions, ecological shifts and cultural memory within a rapidly transforming landscape. The exhibition draws from research, artistic interventions and community-driven programs cultivated at Maghras, a farm and interdisciplinary space in Al-Ahsa.

Al-Ahsa, located in the Eastern Province, has been historically defined by its abundant water sources. It has undergone significant environmental and social transformations, mirroring broader changes in agrarian communities worldwide. The area has been farmed since the third millennium BCE. 

The pavilion takes the form of a transplanted maghras — a traditional unit of land defined by four palm trees. Through videos, sound installations and participatory programs, the exhibition invites audiences to engage with Al-Ahsa’s evolving agricultural ecosystems.

In the lead-up to the exhibition, artists, architects, and researchers collaborated with Al-Ahsa’s farming communities, gathering firsthand insights into the region’s shifting landscape. This knowledge exchange was further explored through performances, film screenings and local workshops examining the deep connections between culture and agriculture.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Sara Al-Omran and Lulu Almana. (Supplied)

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SAUDI ARABIA