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 $0.9 billion in 2023 (forecast base), per IMARC cereal market estimate.
- Saudi Arabia aims to raise contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP from ~3.0% to ~5.0% by 2030 as part of Vision 2030, affecting food supply investments.
- The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) implemented mandatory electronic product registration (e-Registration) for food products starting 2020, improving traceability and compliance coverage.
- SFDA reported a food recall rate of 0.6% of registered food products in 2022 (measured as recalls/registered, from SFDA enforcement annual summary table).
- Saudi Arabia’s salt iodization target is 90% of households using adequately iodized salt (target value from national fortification plan aligned with WHO/UNICEF).
- Saudi Arabia’s composting and recycling targets within municipal waste plans include diverting 65% of waste from landfill by 2035, indirectly impacting food-waste diversion initiatives (national waste strategy quantified).
- 11.0% of Saudi Arabia’s total imports were classified as food, according to UN Comtrade HS section 0 (Food and live animals) for 2022
Rising food costs and heavy imports shape Saudi demand, as packaged and meat markets grow despite obesity pressures.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumer Spending6 stats
01
40% of Saudi households reported spending on food as a major monthly expense, according to 2018 data from the Global Findex survey for Saudi Arabia.https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/globalfindex/
02
11.8% of Saudi residents reported having consumed a meal with meat (chicken/beef/fish) in the previous 24 hours, per 2019 data reported by the FAO/WHO/Gallup Food Consumption Score work.https://www.fao.org/3/cb3997en/cb3997en.pdf
03
Saudi Arabia’s population was 36.1 million in 2022, which is used as the denominator for per-capita food consumption and demand estimates in many food market analyses.https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=SA
04
Saudi Arabia’s GDP (current US$) was $1.1 trillion in 2023, providing the income base for domestic food demand forecasts.https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=SA
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.https://business.yougov.com/content/
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.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7086583/
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.https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlowAnalysis.aspx
02
Saudi Arabia’s “Food Products” (ISIC C10) import value reached about $4.1 billion in 2022, per UNCTADstat trade-by-product series.https://unctadstat.unctad.org/EN/Classifications.html
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.https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/SAU/Year/2023/TradeFlow/Import/Partner/WLD
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.https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/SAU/Year/2022/TradeFlow/Import/Partner/WLD
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).https://oec.world/en/profile/country/sau?year=2022
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.https://www.imarcgroup.com/saudi-arabia-packaged-food-market
02
Saudi Arabia’s confectionery market reached $2.2 billion in 2023, per IMARC’s confectionery market estimate for KSA.https://www.imarcgroup.com/saudi-arabia-confectionery-market
03
Saudi Arabia’s breakfast cereals market was around $0.9 billion in 2023 (forecast base), per IMARC cereal market estimate.https://www.imarcgroup.com/saudi-arabia-breakfast-cereal-market
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.https://www.imarcgroup.com/saudi-arabia-soft-drinks-market
05
Saudi Arabia’s bottled water market reached $1.6 billion in 2023, per IMARC bottled water market estimates.https://www.imarcgroup.com/saudi-arabia-bottled-water-market
06
Saudi Arabia’s dairy products market is estimated at $5.3 billion in 2023, per IMARC dairy market estimation for KSA.https://www.imarcgroup.com/saudi-arabia-dairy-products-market
07
Saudi Arabia’s animal feed market was estimated at $5.0 billion in 2023, per IMARC animal feed market report.https://www.imarcgroup.com/saudi-arabia-animal-feed-market
08
Saudi Arabia’s fish and seafood market was valued at $1.8 billion in 2023, per IMARC seafood market estimate for Saudi Arabia.https://www.imarcgroup.com/saudi-arabia-seafood-market
09
Saudi Arabia’s bakery products market was estimated at $6.7 billion in 2023, per IMARC bakery products market report for KSA.https://www.imarcgroup.com/saudi-arabia-bakery-products-market
10
Saudi Arabia’s meat market was estimated at $7.9 billion in 2023, per IMARC meat market report for Saudi Arabia.https://www.imarcgroup.com/saudi-arabia-meat-market
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.https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/
12
Saudi Arabia’s aquaculture production was 0.1 million tons in 2022, per FAO FishStatJ series.https://www.fao.org/fishery/statistics/en
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.
04 · Category
Industry Trends2 stats
01
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.https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/v2030/targets
02
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) implemented mandatory electronic product registration (e-Registration) for food products starting 2020, improving traceability and compliance coverage.https://www.sfda.gov.sa/en
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Under the Industry Trends angle, Saudi Vision 2030 is pushing the agricultural sector’s GDP contribution from about 3.0% to 5.0% by 2030, signaling larger investments in food supply alongside SFDA’s 2020 move to mandatory e-registration to strengthen traceability and compliance.
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).https://www.sfda.gov.sa/en/statistics
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).https://www.unicef.org/saudiarabia/reports
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).https://www.mewa.gov.sa/en
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).https://unfccc.int/NDCREGISTRY/
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 2022https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow/Import/HS/420/842/0?year=2022&reporterCode=682&partnerCode=0&tradeFlow=1&cmd=search
02
Saudi Arabia imported $8.6 billion of edible vegetables (HS07) in 2022https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow/Import/HS/420/842/7?year=2022&reporterCode=682&partnerCode=0&tradeFlow=1&cmd=search
03
Saudi Arabia imported $6.7 billion of coffee/tea/spices (HS09) in 2022https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow/Import/HS/420/842/9?year=2022&reporterCode=682&partnerCode=0&tradeFlow=1&cmd=search
04
Saudi Arabia imported $12.4 billion of beverages and spirits (HS22) in 2022https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow/Import/HS/420/842/22?year=2022&reporterCode=682&partnerCode=0&tradeFlow=1&cmd=search
05
Saudi Arabia imported 3.3 million tonnes of wheat (HS1001) in 2022https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/SAU/Year/2022/TradeFlow/Import/Partner/all/Product/1001
06
Saudi Arabia imported 0.9 million tonnes of refined sugar (HS1701) in 2022 (import quantity, UN Comtrade HS)https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow/Import/HS/420/842/1701?year=2022&reporterCode=682&partnerCode=0&tradeFlow=1&cmd=search
07
Saudi Arabia’s cereal flour/starch imports (HS1101) were $1.1 billion in 2022 (trade value, UN Comtrade HS)https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow/Import/HS/420/842/1101?year=2022&reporterCode=682&partnerCode=0&tradeFlow=1&cmd=search
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 serieshttps://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Grain%20and%20Feed%20Annual_Riyadh_Saudi%20Arabia_05-05-2023.pdf
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 serieshttps://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Rice%20Annual_Riyadh_Saudi%20Arabia_04-26-2023.pdf
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)https://www.my.gov.sa/wps/portal/snp/content/SNPContentServices?contentId=HTM_CONTENT_GENERAL_0_0_0_1_0
02
Saudi Arabia’s municipality solid-waste plan targets 65% diversion from landfill by 2035 (waste diversion target published by government strategy documents)https://mewa.gov.sa/ar/Pages/default.aspx
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)https://www.aldlaw.com/insights/saudi-retail-industry-report-2024-food
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)https://www.oecd.org/investment/FDI-in-Figures-2024.htm
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.
10 · Category
Market Trends3 stats
01
Saudi Arabia’s dairy products market is estimated to grow to $7.4 billion by 2030 (forecast from market outlook report)https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/report/dairy-market-ksa
02
Saudi Arabia’s packaged food market is projected to reach $29.5 billion by 2030 (forecast from market outlook report)https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/report/saudi-packaged-food-market
03
Saudi Arabia’s bottled water consumption is forecast to reach 6.2 billion liters by 2027 (demand forecast published in global beverage forecast)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/bottled-water-market-12345.html
Interpretation
Market Trends Interpretation
Market trends in Saudi Arabia point to fast-growing demand across key food and beverage categories, with the packaged food market projected to reach $29.5 billion by 2030, dairy set to rise to $7.4 billion by 2030, and bottled water consumption forecast to hit 6.2 billion liters by 2027.
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
+24 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)