Bees are irreplaceable as pollinators of many plants that simply would not survive without them. While the insects are reared primarily for their honey, not all of them produce it, and their decline could have a major impact on the planet’s biodiversity. The FAO also noted how declining bee populations could affect nutritious crops such as fruits, nuts and vegetables, which would then be substituted by staple crops such as rice, corn and potatoes, resulting in an imbalanced diet.

Researchers believe that the headlines of honey bee colony losses have given an impression of the large-scale global decline of the bee population that endangers beekeeping. However, the stories are usually based on research reports limited to a few countries with observations over a relatively short period, such as the US and Europe, where colony losses have been particularly evident during several harsh winters.

Though bees have stood the test of time for hundreds of millions of years as their populations varied, over the past few decades, the fluctuating decline in numbers may also be attributed to poor farming practices, global warming and disease.

Realizing the possible harsh impact the decline of bees can have on crop yields, the beekeeping industry is steadily growing around the world, and the Kingdom is no exception. Though Saudi Arabia’s arid landscape may seem an inhospitable location for beekeeping and honey-making, the practice has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries.

The bee species most prevalent in the Kingdom is the indigenous honey bee, Apis mellifera dementia, which is found mainly in the southern and southwestern regions of the Kingdom, an ideal environment for nature’s cultivators.