Poultry in KSA: A Leap Forward with Dutch Innovation
In its quest for agricultural advancement and food security, Saudi Arabia has made big leaps in the poultry sector. The collaboration with Dutch agrotech expertise has been a catalyst for this transformation, aligning with the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
Global events made Saudi Arabia recognize food security as a strategic imperative, embedding it into the country’s Vision 2030, a holistic economic transformative roadmap. Arid climate, water scarcity, and depletion of nonregenerative water sources, pose serious obstacles to provide affordable and safe food to the country’s population of 32.2 million.
Despite the challenges, Saudi Arabia’s poultry produced 1 million mt in 2022, leading to the sufficiency rate to be at 70%, for the market that was valued at $ 17.3 billion in 2023, moving from 42% in 2016. Such big strides make Saudi Arabia closer to its self-sufficiency rate of 85% by 2030, especially with the recently celebrated milestone, when the Saudi poultry industry celebrated producing a record 100,000 mt in February 2024, almost double what was produced by UAE in 2022.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) has played a pivotal role, with the Agricultural Development Fund providing essential support and funding for poultry projects. The Saudi government's support has been instrumental in the poultry sector's growth, with initiatives like the Agricultural Development Fund's (ADF) program that includes poultry among its seven sub-sectors for public-private partnership solutions.
Middle East Poultry Expo 2024
The Middle East Poultry Expo (MEP Expo) in its 3rd edition witnessed 7 Dutch companies taking the lion share of deals valued at over 4 billion Saudi Riyals (>$1.1 billion). Capitalizing on the momentum where Saudi Arabia is focused on raising self-sufficiency rate in poultry industry, LAN-GCC organized a session attended by a large number of Dutch companies in the poultry industry, on the sidelines of MEP Expo. Ministry of Investment and ADF presented the attending companies with opportunities within the industry where Dutch innovative solutions are needed. With a packed room of attendees, ADF introduced their recently launched funding program which opens the door for foreign investors intending to establish their presence in Saudi Arabia.
The Dutch Touch
The Dutch have long been recognized for their agricultural innovative solutions, and their involvement in Saudi Arabia's poultry sector is no exception. Tanmiah Food Company, one of the major players in KSA, has a long standing relationship with a number of Dutch companies like Marel BV, Mavitec, Meyn, Ottevanger, and Viscon, that shows how deeply rooted Dutch technology is in KSA. The deals that were signed with Almarai, yet another major player in KSA, solidifies the ongoing cooperation between the two countries.
The synergy between Saudi strategic initiatives and Dutch agrotech expertise has propelled Saudi Arabia's poultry industry into a new era of productivity and sustainability. Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of poultry meat in the Middle East, accounting for approximately 71% of the region's production in 2022.
The Agriculture & Food team will be glad to answer inquiries related to agri-food via RIY-LNV@minbuza.nl.