Saudi Arabia remains the most attractive food and beverage market ahead of Egypt, with food consumption growth of 7.6% this year, says a new BMI report.
Scottish food and drink exports to the Middle East grew 20% year-on-year in 2014 to US$350m, and have nearly doubled since 2007, with fish and seafood leading the growth.
Saudi-based Hussain Al Qurashi Group has initiated a new contract with BanaBay to receive 83 tonnes of Ecuadorian bananas a week, with potential for expansion.
Brazilian dessert producer Mr Bey wants to expand its GCC distribution beyond its current Saudi clients, as the firm targets a major increase in its export business.
The Saudi minister of agriculture has criticised the high level of wasted bread in the country, saying 35% is thrown away, during the opening of a new US$218m flour mill in Al-Jamoum.
Nestlé has released its first corporate accountability report for the region, and promises to cut waste, improve children’s health and reduce salt and sugar in its products.
A US-Saudi project aims to help small-scale farmers in the kingdom by tackling their biggest challenges, with a model the academics behind it hope can be rolled out across the region.
Russia’s Halal industry is working to grow its exports to the Middle East, as the country signs a meat-for-grain deal with Iran, and Belarus is set to start UAE beef shipments.
Omani bottled water producer Barzman National has increased its production capacity to cope with rising demand, adding a new 22,000 bottle-per-hour line to its facilities.
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Economic City has bagged two new food clients, with Malaysian snack maker Mamee and Saudi cold storage firm Abdullah Abbar and Sons planning facilities in the city.
Silver Fern Farms is rolling out its high-end chilled New Zealand beef and lamb ranges to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, citing growing consumer demand for premium, natural meat products.
Lebanese farmers are facing financial disaster following the closure of the main land route to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, after Syrian rebels seized the Nasib border crossing with Jordan.
Two new sugar refinery projects launched in Saudi Arabia this month in Jizan and Yanbu, with a combined value of US$720m and projected capacity of more than 2m tonnes a year.
Growing numbers of American brands are entering the UAE, according to food distributor Farm Fresh, which is looking to make the most of the new influx.
UAE consumers are finally becoming wise to the attractions of high-quality coffee, thanks to an influx of knowledgeable roasters and baristas, according to a UAE-based roastmaster.
Tough government regulations on energy drinks means the Saudi Arabian market is a challenging one, but it’s also a land of opportunity for US and European brands, says Euromonitor International.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has restarted its support for 1.7m Syrian refugees following a US$52m donation from Saudi Arabia, along with funds from other governments and donors.
Chocolate maker Mars has invested a total of US$140m in new manufacturing facilities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE to increase production of its Galaxy and Snickers lines.
French dairy giant Lactalis has entered the race to acquire Arab Dairy Products Company with an offer that tops all earlier bids for the Egyptian cheesemaker.
Sidel announced it has signed a partnership with Sayeed International, an industrial packaging company in Pakistan, at Gulfood Mannufacturing 2014, in Dubai.
Saudi Arabia’s milk exports now exceed Germany’s thanks to rapid development, with average export growth of 12.5% a year over the last decade, according to a Tetra Pak report.
Middle East confectionery sales are set to boom, with the Saudi market projected to grow 43% by 2016 according to KPMG, and the region as a whole by 20% in 2015.
The Brazilian agriculture ministry (Mapa) is sending a trade delegation to Egypt and Iran in an attempt to restart embargoed beef shipments and improve systems for importing poultry.
Saudi Arabia’s poultry production is growing strongly, but disease and feed costs are thwarting the kingdom’s aim of domestic self-sufficiency, according to a US Department of Agriculture report.
Dubai chocolate maker Delice has started selling its products in London department store Harrods’ chocolate room, and plans launches in three more markets this year.
Italian food exports to the GCC were up 21% in 2013, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia leading the growth and sales, according to figures from Italian food export organisation Cibus.
Saudi Arabia's younger consumers and working women are driving a gradual shift towards microwaveable meals, but wider change will be slow to come, according to research firm Euromonitor.
Saudi dairy and poultry producer Almarai has signed a deal for berth and processing facilities at King Abdullah Port (KAP), in order to import its own animal feed.
Saudi Arabia's poultry production will rise 52% over the next four years, as the country's total agricultural sector is set to hit US$1.7bn in value, according to a new report.
Brazilian food processor Marfrig is planning to set up its first factory in the Middle East within the next five years, with Saudi Arabia the most likely location.
Saudi Arabia is threatening to impose trade sanctions on the Netherlands following anti-Islamic and anti-Saudi statements from a far-right Dutch politician.
Saudi Arabia is building two new grain silos worth US$79m along with a US$53m flour mill in its eastern Al-Ahsa province, the country's grain authority has announced.
Saudi Arabian authorities have warned seven domestic and international infant formula manufacturers and importers that they face severe penalties for illegally driving up the price of their products.
Any further escalation in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine could have a serious and adverse impact on the food supply situation in the Middle East, including countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to the World Bank.
