Browse Data and Analysis

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) regulations allow the importation of biotech plant products, but they are required to be labeled if they contain more than one percent genetically engineered (GE) plant ingredients. As a result, many retail packed food importers do not import biotech foods due to concerns that biotech labeling could jeopardize their product image. However, Saudi Arabia imports large quantities of biotech U.S. corn, soybeans, and their products.

Saudi Arabia’s barley imports for the first six months of MY 2022/23 (July – Dec. 2022) are estimated at 2.6 million metric tons (MMT), an increase of six percent compared to the same period last year. Post’s current projection for total barley imports for MY 2022/23 is 4.5 MMT, which is a decrease of four percent compared to the USDA official estimate of 4.7 MMT. Unless the price of barley drastically decreases, Post anticipates demand will remain low throughout MY 2022/23.

Saudi Arabia was a 24th largest market ($1.34 million) for U.S. food and agricultural products last year. A return to pre-Covid living and working conditions are invigorating U.S. agricultural exports to the Kingdom in 2022. U.S. Customs data for January – August 2022 shows an 11 percent increase in U.S. agricultural exports to Saudi Arabia compared to the same period in 2021.

U.S. exports of consumer-oriented food products to Saudi Arabia increased approximately 11 percent in 2019 to a record high of $588 million...

Saudi Arabia is home to an over-sized and resilient hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) industry that is a promising market for U.S. exporters.

Although Saudi Arabia has adopted regulations that allow for the import of biotech seeds, Saudi farmers have not shown an interest in importing or planting biotech seeds.

Saudi Arabia is a significant market for U.S. food and agricultural products with direct U.S. exports of $1.39 billion in 2019.

Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the Arab world and home to a growing food manufacturing and processing sector as a result of favorable trade agreements, population growth and...

U.S. exports of consumer-oriented food products to Saudi Arabia increased by approximately 11 percent in 2019 - to a record high of $588 million.

Saudi barley import tenders for July-December 2020 are 17 percent less than the quantity of barley imported over the same period last year (2.945 million MT vs. 3.566 million MT).

Saudi Arabia is home to a growing food manufacturing and processing sector which benefits from population and income growth, life-style changes, state support, and favorable trade agreements.

Chicken meat production is expected to continue to rise as the Kingdom pursues a goal of 80% self-sufficiency by 2025.