SAUDI ARABIA IS THE LARGEST FOOD IMPORTER IN THE REGION

The food and beverages sector recorded an increase of 2.1%, with imports into Saudi Arabia coming from 40 countries around the world, mainly with fruit and vegetables. The local consumer market for these is worth US$ 6 billion a year, the main sources being: Chile, the Philippines, South Africa, India, Pakistan, France, the United States, China, Egypt and Italy, among others. More than 200 varieties of fruit are sold in local markets, 40% of which are bananas, apples and oranges. It is estimated that the annual growth of this market is 5%. The market size of Saudi Arabia, which represents European fruit consumption of more than 50 thousand tons, is valued at US$ 133 million. The Jeddah fresh market is the second largest in the region with a size of 3,000 tons, made up of 2,000 t of vegetables and 1,000 t of fruit that arrives daily from the central market. The price of fruit in Saudi Arabia is the cheapest in the world.

Source: Eurofresh-distribution