Browse Data and Analysis

Continuing economic growth; increasing tourism; a healthy hotel, restaurant, and institutional sector; and a growing population will lead the UAE’s wheat and rice consumption to grow in the 2025-2026 marketing year (MY).

Total Saudi wheat imports for 2025/26 are forecast to decline 10 percent to 3.2 million metric tons (MMT), due to projected high local production. Saudi barley imports for MY 2025/26 are projected to increase by 10 percent to 3.3 MMT compared to last MY.

The HRI sector is witnessing remarkable growth, fueled by urbanization, a surging population, rising disposable incomes, shifting social and cultural trends, and a thriving tourism industry. The Saudi food retail market, currently valued at $30 billion, is projected to grow by another $15 billion by 2030.

The United Arab Emirates, the Arab world's second-largest economy, will continue to offer growing and dynamic market opportunities for U.S. exporters in the food service--hotel, restaurant, and institutional sector through the end of 2024 and beyond.

The ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia bodes well for the retail food sector. In 2023, the Saudi food retail market was estimated at more than $51 billion and projected to increase by more than 5 percent annually in the coming years due to the continued urbanization, growing population, changing shopping habits, expansion of physical store locations , and increasing popularity of online platforms.

The UAE promotes biotechnology through a research ecosystem focused on innovation. Notable advances center on plant biotechnology such as quinoa and salicornia, in addition to the date palm.

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 packaged food importers do not import biotech foods due to concerns that biotech labeling could jeopardize their image.

After the 2023 outbreak of bluetongue disease in Europe, the bluetongue virus (BTV-3) has now spread to three Nordic countries. Denmark encountered the first case of bluetongue disease on August 9, Norway on September 6, and Sweden on September 12.

This report covers food and agricultural import regulations and standards in the United Arab Emirates. U.S. agricultural suppliers are advised to consult with local importers prior to shipping to verify application of these requirements on their products.

This report identifies certificate requirements for U.S. food and agricultural products destined for the United Arab Emirates. This report is to be used in conjunction with the 2024 Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report for the United Arab Emirates.

Total Saudi wheat imports for 2024/25 are forecast to reach 4.25 MMT, an increase of 2 percent over marketing year (MY) 2023/24.

New Zealand has signed a free-trade deal with the United Arab Emirates - the fastest agreement the country has ever reached. After negotiations began in May, the country's trade negotiators concluded the deal in four months.