Unibio has entered a joint venture with the Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG) to build what it is calling the world’s largest single-cell protein plant in Saudi Arabia.
The new plan, which will see an investment split of 80 percent SIIG and 20 percent Unibio, will use Unibio’s fermentation technology to produce its single-cell protein. Unibio has developed a method to convert methane from natural gas into high-quality protein products with a long shelf life that can be used in aquafeed.
Unibio said Saudi Arabia is an ideal place to use its fermentation technology due to the country’s abundance of natural gas. The company’s Uniprotein product was approved by the Saudi Arabia Food and Drug Authority in 2025, and following the approval, the company sought business partnerships in the country as it commercialized the product.
“The world needs innovators who collectively want to find a solution to providing food stability for future generations. We believe that our fermentation technology, which incorporates the most efficient reactor of its kind in gas fermentation, is ideal for Saudi Arabia,” Unibio CEO David Henstrom said in a release. “We are delighted to join with SIIG as a partner to bring industrial-scale fermentation to the Kingdom and look forward to working together to address an authentic problem – how to feed a growing population with minimal impact on the planet.”
The new plant will use Unibio’s bioreactor technology, converting methane into its Uniprotein product – a single-cell protein that can be used in animal feed. The company said it has already completed front-end engineering and design on the project, and construction of the plant is slated for the second half of 2026. Unibio predicts the facility will be fully commercialized and ready to start in 2028.
The move also comes as Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” has continued to push for a diversified economy that includes increased food security and efforts on initiatives like aquaculture production.
“We are excited to work on developing this project alongside our partner Unibio and look forward to bringing sustainable protein production to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, our region, and the rest of the world,” SIIG CEO Abdulrahman Alismail said in a release. “We see this as a strategic investment for our company and the long-term growth in shareholder value. Using Unibio’s technology, we aim to make Saudi Arabia the leader in single-cell protein production and improve food security for both Saudi Arabia and the world’s growing population.”
