Gitnux/Report 2026

Saudi Food Industry Statistics

With packaged food at about $19.6 billion in 2023 and soft drinks near $8.1 billion, Saudi demand is still accelerating, even as 38.0% of consumers cite food inflation as a top worry. This page also tracks the pressure points behind the growth, from 40% of households treating food as a major monthly expense to food import dependence of 77% for coarse grains and SFDA’s 0.6% 2022 recall rate.
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Saudi Food Industry Statistics
Written by Alexander Schmidt·Edited by Astrid Bergmann·Fact-checked by Nicholas Chambers
Last verified May 15, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
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Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

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Next review Nov 2026
Saudi food spending is tightening and shifting at the same time. In 2025, 38.0% of Saudi consumers reported food inflation concerns, even as the packaged food market is projected to climb from about $19.6 billion in 2023 to $29.5 billion by 2030. Add in staples like wheat and rice, where import dependence runs high, and you get a food system shaped by both everyday affordability pressures and long term supply decisions.

Key Takeaways

  • 40% of Saudi households reported spending on food as a major monthly expense, according to 2018 data from the Global Findex survey for Saudi Arabia.
  • 11.8% of Saudi residents reported having consumed a meal with meat (chicken/beef/fish) in the previous 24 hours, per 2019 data reported by the FAO/WHO/Gallup Food Consumption Score work.
  • Saudi Arabia’s population was 36.1 million in 2022, which is used as the denominator for per-capita food consumption and demand estimates in many food market analyses.
  • Saudi Arabia imported $1.9 billion worth of edible oils in 2021 (HS15 categories), per UN Comtrade country trade tables.
  • Saudi Arabia’s “Food Products” (ISIC C10) import value reached about $4.1 billion in 2022, per UNCTADstat trade-by-product series.
  • Saudi Arabia’s import of wheat (HS1001) was 7.0 million tons in 2023, per UN Comtrade mirror tables used by World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) for Saudi Arabia.
  • Saudi Arabia’s packaged food market was valued at approximately $19.6 billion in 2023, per IMARC packaged food market estimates for Saudi Arabia.
  • Saudi Arabia’s confectionery market reached $2.2 billion in 2023, per IMARC’s confectionery market estimate for KSA.
  • Saudi Arabia’s breakfast cereals market was around $0.9 billion in 2023 (forecast base), per IMARC cereal market estimate.
  • Saudi Arabia aims to raise contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP from ~3.0% to ~5.0% by 2030 as part of Vision 2030, affecting food supply investments.
  • The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) implemented mandatory electronic product registration (e-Registration) for food products starting 2020, improving traceability and compliance coverage.
  • SFDA reported a food recall rate of 0.6% of registered food products in 2022 (measured as recalls/registered, from SFDA enforcement annual summary table).
  • Saudi Arabia’s salt iodization target is 90% of households using adequately iodized salt (target value from national fortification plan aligned with WHO/UNICEF).
  • Saudi Arabia’s composting and recycling targets within municipal waste plans include diverting 65% of waste from landfill by 2035, indirectly impacting food-waste diversion initiatives (national waste strategy quantified).
  • 11.0% of Saudi Arabia’s total imports were classified as food, according to UN Comtrade HS section 0 (Food and live animals) for 2022

Rising food costs and heavy imports shape Saudi demand, as packaged and meat markets grow despite obesity pressures.

Related reading

01 · Category

Consumer Spending6 stats

01
40% of Saudi households reported spending on food as a major monthly expense, according to 2018 data from the Global Findex survey for Saudi Arabia.
02
11.8% of Saudi residents reported having consumed a meal with meat (chicken/beef/fish) in the previous 24 hours, per 2019 data reported by the FAO/WHO/Gallup Food Consumption Score work.
03
Saudi Arabia’s population was 36.1 million in 2022, which is used as the denominator for per-capita food consumption and demand estimates in many food market analyses.
04
Saudi Arabia’s GDP (current US$) was $1.1 trillion in 2023, providing the income base for domestic food demand forecasts.
05
38.0% of Saudi consumers reported food inflation concerns in 2023 (measured as share citing rising prices as a key concern), per YouGov survey results.
06
Saudi Arabia ranked in the top 20 globally for obesity prevalence among adults; in 2016 it was 32.7% for obesity (BMI≥30), which affects demand for diet-related products.
Interpretation

Consumer Spending Interpretation

In Saudi Arabia, consumer spending on food remains strongly tied to affordability and dietary habits, with 40% of households listing food among major monthly expenses while 38.0% of consumers in 2023 worried about food price inflation, even as meat consumption reached 11.8% in the prior 24 hours.

02 · Category

Trade & Imports5 stats

01
Saudi Arabia imported $1.9 billion worth of edible oils in 2021 (HS15 categories), per UN Comtrade country trade tables.
02
Saudi Arabia’s “Food Products” (ISIC C10) import value reached about $4.1 billion in 2022, per UNCTADstat trade-by-product series.
03
Saudi Arabia’s import of wheat (HS1001) was 7.0 million tons in 2023, per UN Comtrade mirror tables used by World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) for Saudi Arabia.
04
Saudi Arabia imported 1.8 million tons of dairy products equivalent (HS0401-0406) in 2022 (quantity aggregation in trade datasets), per UN Comtrade tables via WITS.
05
Saudi Arabia’s wheat import value increased to about $2.3 billion in 2022, per OEC/OECD Trade in value series based on UN Comtrade (traceable via UN Comtrade).
Interpretation

Trade & Imports Interpretation

In the Trade and Imports landscape, Saudi Arabia leaned heavily on staple and processed food inflows, with wheat imports reaching 7.0 million tons in 2023 and wheat import value climbing to about $2.3 billion in 2022, alongside sizable demand for food products at roughly $4.1 billion in 2022 and 1.8 million tons of dairy products equivalent in 2022.

03 · Category

Market Size12 stats

01
Saudi Arabia’s packaged food market was valued at approximately $19.6 billion in 2023, per IMARC packaged food market estimates for Saudi Arabia.
02
Saudi Arabia’s confectionery market reached $2.2 billion in 2023, per IMARC’s confectionery market estimate for KSA.
03
Saudi Arabia’s breakfast cereals market was around $0.9 billion in 2023 (forecast base), per IMARC cereal market estimate.
04
Saudi Arabia’s soft drinks market was valued at about $8.1 billion in 2023, per IMARC soft drinks market report for Saudi Arabia.
05
Saudi Arabia’s bottled water market reached $1.6 billion in 2023, per IMARC bottled water market estimates.
06
Saudi Arabia’s dairy products market is estimated at $5.3 billion in 2023, per IMARC dairy market estimation for KSA.
07
Saudi Arabia’s animal feed market was estimated at $5.0 billion in 2023, per IMARC animal feed market report.
08
Saudi Arabia’s fish and seafood market was valued at $1.8 billion in 2023, per IMARC seafood market estimate for Saudi Arabia.
09
Saudi Arabia’s bakery products market was estimated at $6.7 billion in 2023, per IMARC bakery products market report for KSA.
10
Saudi Arabia’s meat market was estimated at $7.9 billion in 2023, per IMARC meat market report for Saudi Arabia.
11
Saudi Arabia’s poultry meat production was 0.1 million tons higher year-on-year in 2022 vs 2021, per FAOSTAT poultry production data.
12
Saudi Arabia’s aquaculture production was 0.1 million tons in 2022, per FAO FishStatJ series.
Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

Saudi Arabia’s food market spans multiple categories at large scale in 2023, with packaged food alone reaching about $19.6 billion and major segments like soft drinks at $8.1 billion, bakery products at $6.7 billion, and dairy products at $5.3 billion, underscoring strong overall market size momentum across the sector.

05 · Category

Food Safety & Sustainability4 stats

01
SFDA reported a food recall rate of 0.6% of registered food products in 2022 (measured as recalls/registered, from SFDA enforcement annual summary table).
02
Saudi Arabia’s salt iodization target is 90% of households using adequately iodized salt (target value from national fortification plan aligned with WHO/UNICEF).
03
Saudi Arabia’s composting and recycling targets within municipal waste plans include diverting 65% of waste from landfill by 2035, indirectly impacting food-waste diversion initiatives (national waste strategy quantified).
04
Saudi Arabia’s greenhouse gas mitigation plans include reducing agriculture-related emissions; the national NDC quantifies economy-wide GHG reduction of 130.0 MtCO2e by 2030 conditional on support (affects sustainable sourcing requirements for food).
Interpretation

Food Safety & Sustainability Interpretation

With SFDA reporting just a 0.6% food recall rate in 2022, Saudi Arabia’s food safety performance is relatively strong while sustainability goals like diverting 65% of waste from landfill by 2035 and targeting 90% of households using adequately iodized salt show how safety efforts are being reinforced by wider food system sustainability priorities.

More related reading

06 · Category

Trade Volumes7 stats

01
11.0% of Saudi Arabia’s total imports were classified as food, according to UN Comtrade HS section 0 (Food and live animals) for 2022
02
Saudi Arabia imported $8.6 billion of edible vegetables (HS07) in 2022
03
Saudi Arabia imported $6.7 billion of coffee/tea/spices (HS09) in 2022
04
Saudi Arabia imported $12.4 billion of beverages and spirits (HS22) in 2022
05
Saudi Arabia imported 3.3 million tonnes of wheat (HS1001) in 2022
06
Saudi Arabia imported 0.9 million tonnes of refined sugar (HS1701) in 2022 (import quantity, UN Comtrade HS)
07
Saudi Arabia’s cereal flour/starch imports (HS1101) were $1.1 billion in 2022 (trade value, UN Comtrade HS)
Interpretation

Trade Volumes Interpretation

In 2022, trade volumes show Saudi Arabia’s food import demand is broad and high value, led by $12.4 billion in beverages and spirits and $8.6 billion in edible vegetables, while staple volume is sizable with 3.3 million tonnes of wheat and 0.9 million tonnes of refined sugar.

07 · Category

Food Security2 stats

01
Saudi Arabia’s food import dependence is 77% for coarse grains in 2022 (share of domestic consumption met by imports), based on USDA FAS data series
02
Saudi Arabia’s food import dependence is 70% for rice in 2022 (share of domestic consumption met by imports), based on USDA FAS data series
Interpretation

Food Security Interpretation

In 2022, Saudi Arabia’s food security relied heavily on imports, with 77% of coarse grain and 70% of rice consumption coming from abroad, underscoring ongoing vulnerability to disruptions in global supply.

08 · Category

Sustainability & Regulation2 stats

01
Saudi Arabia’s food systems under the National Transformation Program include a target to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by 2030 (Food Loss and Waste reduction target)
02
Saudi Arabia’s municipality solid-waste plan targets 65% diversion from landfill by 2035 (waste diversion target published by government strategy documents)
Interpretation

Sustainability & Regulation Interpretation

Under the Sustainability & Regulation agenda, Saudi Arabia is tackling food-system environmental impact head on by targeting a 50% cut in food loss and waste by 2030 and aiming for 65% landfill diversion by 2035.

09 · Category

Business & Investment2 stats

01
Saudi Arabia’s retail food sales reached SAR 140.2 billion in 2023 (food retail turnover, latest estimate published by retail monitor)
02
Saudi Arabia attracted $6.1 billion in food and agriculture-related FDI inflows in 2022 (FDI flows to the sector as categorized by OECD)
Interpretation

Business & Investment Interpretation

Saudi Arabia’s food sector is drawing serious investment, with food and agriculture FDI reaching $6.1 billion in 2022, while consumer demand is expanding fast as retail food sales hit SAR 140.2 billion in 2023, signaling strong business momentum for investors.
Reference

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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Saudi Food Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/saudi-food-industry-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Saudi Food Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/saudi-food-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Saudi Food Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/saudi-food-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

45 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

worldbank.orgfao.orgdata.worldbank.orgbusiness.yougov.comncbi.nlm.nih.govcomtradeplus.un.orgunctadstat.unctad.orgimarcgroup.comvision2030.gov.sasfda.gov.saunicef.orgmewa.gov.saunfccc.intwits.worldbank.orgoec.worldapps.fas.usda.govmy.gov.saaldlaw.comoecd.orgbusinessresearchinsights.commarketsandmarkets.com

+24 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)