Sahara Forest Project

What Sahara Forest Project does

Sahara Forest Project is a Norwegian environmental engineering platform, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Oslo, that designs and operates integrated food-water-energy systems for arid coastal regions. Its core technology combines saltwater-cooled greenhouses — where seawater evaporation produces cooling and distilled freshwater — with photovoltaic and concentrated solar power, outdoor revegetation zones, and salt-pond mineral extraction. The company operates a 3-hectare demonstration facility, the Launch Station in Aqaba, Jordan (inaugurated in 2017), which produces up to 130,000 kg of vegetables and 10,000 liters of freshwater per day, with 200,000 SQM allocated for further development and an additional 300,000 SQM earmarked for roll-out. The firm is structured as The Sahara Forest Project Foundation (Norwegian foundation) alongside Sahara Forest Project AS (private limited company).

SFP's business model blends three revenue streams: (1) commercial sale of high-value vegetables to local Aqaba hospitality and retail markets, to cruise operators Costa Crociere and AIDA calling at Aqaba, and as exports to European wholesalers such as Norway's BAMA; (2) technology licensing, feasibility studies, and consulting services for governments and organizations seeking to replicate the model in other arid regions (Jordan, Tunisia, and historically Qatar); and (3) training program fees and grant-funded capacity building, most visibly through the 'She Grows' program for young Jordanian women in partnership with Al Hussein Technical University and UNHCR. GTM is heavily event-driven, anchored by UN Climate Summits (COP15 through COP27) and enterprise field sales to governments and institutional donors. The company is supported by grants from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative, the European Union, and foundations including Grieg and Sundt, with strategic partners Yara International, QAFCO, EY, Bellona Foundation, Aker Horizons, and Costa Crociere Foundation. SFP's Aqaba facility was recognized as a case study in the IPCC's 2022 report approved by 195 governments, marking its most significant external validation to date.

Name

Sahara Forest Project

Legal name

Sahara Forest Project, Inc

Website

https://saharaforestproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sahara Forest Project is a Norwegian environmental engineering platform that combines saltwater-cooled greenhouses, solar power, and outdoor revegetation to produce vegetables, freshwater, and clean energy in arid regions. It operates a 3-hectare Launch Station in Aqaba, Jordan, serving local food markets, European wholesalers, and cruise lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Engineering & Sustainable Agriculture

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) (EUABABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

CSP Plant Development & EPC (Parabolic Trough, Tower, Linear Fresnel, Dish) (EUACAGAE), Grassland/Rangeland Management & Restoration (EUABABAF)

Keywords

• Saltwater greenhouse technology
• Desert agriculture systems
• Solar desalination
• Restorative agriculture
• Climate-smart food production

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Vegetable Production and Sales: Production and sale of high-value vegetables (cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, pak choi) to local markets, tourism sector in Aqaba, export to Europe (Norway via BAMA), and cruise lines (Costa, AIDA). Production capacity up to 130,000 kg per year from the 3-hectare Jordan facility.
2. Technology Licensing and Consulting: SFP provides technical expertise, feasibility studies, and knowledge transfer to enable similar projects in other dry regions. Revenue comes from consulting services and technology licensing arrangements with governments and organizations.
3. Training and Upskilling Programs: The She Grows program provides agricultural technology training to young Jordanian females. While partially funded by grants, it creates a pipeline of skilled workers for future SFP operations and generates modest revenue from program fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sahara Forest Project operates an integrated environmental engineering platform that uses saltwater, sunlight, and desert land to produce vegetables, freshwater, biomass, and clean energy. Its flagship Launch Station in Aqaba, Jordan is a 3-hectare facility combining saltwater-cooled greenhouses, photovoltaic solar panels, and outdoor revegetation zones. The company also licenses its technology, provides consulting/feasibility studies, and runs the She Grows training program for climate-smart agriculture.

Product overview

Sahara Forest Project is an integrated environmental technology platform that enables sustainable food, water, and energy production in desert areas. The core offering consists of the Launch Station facility in Jordan—a 3-hectare demonstration site combining saltwater-cooled greenhouses, solar power systems, and outdoor revegetation zones. The platform is built around a saltwater infrastructure that brings seawater inland to enable desalination and greenhouse cooling. Supporting the technology is the 'She Grows' Training Programme, which upskills young Jordanian females in climate-smart agriculture. The system also encompasses outdoor growing zones for crop production and CO2 sequestration, and R&D activities through the Green Desert Platform. Together, these components form a triple-bottom-line approach to restorative growth—benefiting people, environment, and business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• She Grows: Strategic pillar and social impact arm of SFP focusing on enhancing women's participation in the agriculture sector through upskilling programs in agricultural technology and food security.

Products and services

• Launch Station (Jordan) A 3-hectare demonstration facility in Aqaba, Jordan that uses saltwater, sunlight, and desert land to produce vegetables, freshwater, biomass, and clean energy by combining saltwater-cooled greenhouses with photovoltaic solar panels and outdoor growing zones. Designed for governments and partners seeking to scale the SFP concept in other arid regions.
• She Grows Training Programme A 300-hour upskilling program for young Jordanian female engineers in climate-smart agriculture and food security, covering technical skills in agriculture technology, soft skills, and English. Implemented in partnership with Al Hussein Technical University (HTU) with theoretical training at HTU campus and practical training at the SFP facility in Aqaba.
• Green Desert Platform An R&D initiative for developing and testing new technologies for desert agriculture and restorative growth, part of SFP's strategy for scaling up climate-smart food production in arid regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Water consumption reduced by 50% compared to traditional greenhouse operations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Al Hussein Technical University (HTU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTU in Amman collaborates with SFP on the 'She Grows' Training Program for young female engineering graduates. Partnership includes upskilling program in agricultural technology and food security, with theoretical training at HTU campus and practical training at SFP facility in Aqaba. Multiple cohorts trained since 2020.
• Aqaba University of TechnologysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst private university in southern Jordan, located 15 km south of Aqaba. Signed trilateral MoU with SFP and HTU for joint collaboration on upskilling programs, applied research, and awareness raising within agritech and climate-smart food production.
• EY (Ernst & Young)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal professional services firm signed agreement to support SFP's commercialization and scaling of operations in Aqaba, Jordan. EY committed to utilizing its competencies, experiences, and office network to support SFP's scale-up, aligned with EY's vision of 'Building a better working world'.
• Bellona FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational environmental organization founded by Frederic Hauge. Long-term collaboration since SFP inception. Bellona has been advocate for carbon-negative solutions since 2008. Co-organizes COP pavilions with SFP. Bellona offices in Oslo, Brussels, St. Petersburg, Murmansk, London, and Berlin.
• Aker HorizonssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial company developing technology-based solutions in offshore wind, solar, carbon capture, and clean hydrogen across 18 countries. Partner for COP27 initiative, contributing concrete solutions and establishing companies for climate action.
• Yara InternationalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's leading fertilizer company and SFP original partner. Provided 2.1 million NOK in general support to SFP Foundation. Contributed scientifically on environmentally friendly fertilizers and desert agriculture. Partner in Qatar pilot facility with QAFCO.
• Costa Crociere FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent organization established in 2014, funded 30 projects costing over 4 million euros benefiting 35,000+ people. Partnership includes long-term supply agreement for vegetables to Costa and AIDA cruise ships calling at Aqaba, raising international awareness for SFP.
• QAFCO (Qatar Fertiliser Company)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's largest single site producer of urea and ammonia. Partnered with Yara and SFP for Qatar pilot facility. Estimated pilot plant cost of 5.3 million USD funded by QAFCO and Yara. Located in Mesaieed Industrial City, Qatar.
• EcoConsultminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJordanian company with multidisciplinary experience in sustainable development, extended outreach, and delivery of 250+ projects in Jordan and Middle East. Provides technical input for SFP training programs.
• UNHCRsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Collaboration in upskilling program training Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians in agricultural technology and food security. Part of 2022 international collaboration with SFP and HTU.
• Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral development arm for Aqaba Special Economic Zone. Signed MoU for seawater pipeline to SFP facility, crucial for scale-up to commercial operations. Also tendered the seawater pipeline project. Committed to additional land allocation and attracting other entities to develop alongside SFP.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Plenty: US-based large-scale vertical farming company that acquired Sundrop Farms in 2021, expanding its CEA footprint into arid-region greenhouse agriculture; comparable as a broader incumbent in the premium indoor-grown produce market that competes for similar ESG-conscious buyers.
• AeroFarms: US-based broad incumbent in indoor vertical farming operating large commercial farms across multiple geographies; comparable as a capital-intensive CEA platform chasing premium produce markets but with broader crop ambitions than SFP's desert-focused approach.
• Crop One Holdings: US-headquartered vertical farm operator with major projects in the UAE and Northern Europe; serves similar institutional and hospitality customers through large-scale CEA facilities, positioning it as a broader incumbent in climate-resilient produce.

Direct peers

• Pure Harvest Smart Farms: UAE-based controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) operator building high-tech greenhouses in the GCC for premium produce; competes for the same hospitality, retail, and cruise-line customers that SFP serves through Costa and AIDA in Aqaba.
• Red Sea Farms: Saudi Arabia-based agriculture technology company developing salt-tolerant greenhouse crops and cooling technologies for arid climates; backs into many of the same GCC customers as SFP and competes for the same water-and-energy-secure agriculture narrative.
• Sundrop Farms: Australian company (now part of Plenty) that pioneered commercial-scale greenhouses combining seawater desalination with concentrated solar power to grow tomatoes in arid regions; its operating model in Port Augusta and the UAE is the closest commercial analogue to SFP's integrated stack.
• Seawater Greenhouse: UK-based firm founded by Charlie Paton that originated the saltwater-cooled greenhouse concept. Was one of three founding partners of SFP in 2009 and continues to develop arid-region greenhouse projects using seawater evaporation and solar cooling, making it the most direct technological peer.

Others

• Mawarid Holding: UAE-based agriculture and food-security investment firm operating across arid-region farming and food distribution in the Gulf; comparable as a strategic ecosystem participant that shapes regional demand for the kind of climate-smart agriculture SFP supplies.

Regional players

• Badia Farms: Middle East's first commercial indoor vertical farm, based in Dubai; operates in the same region and serves similar hospitality and retail customers with premium locally-grown produce under the climate-smart narrative.

Emerging players

• Desert Control: Norway-based company applying Liquid NanoClay technology to combat desertification and improve soil water retention; addresses the same restorative-growth and arid-land-restoration theme as SFP's outdoor revegetation zones, though via soil chemistry rather than saltwater infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SaharaForestPro
• YouTubevimeo.com/user14632123
• Facebookfacebook.com/SaharaForestProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sahara-forest-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/sahara_forest_project

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sahara Forest Project