GCC Food Market Analysis Report 2025-2030: Immense Potential for Growth and Innovations - Focus on Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The "GCC Food Market: Analysis by Category (Cereals, Fruits, Vegetables, Dairy, Meat and Others) and Region (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain) - Growth Trends and Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The GCC food market by consumption is expected to reach 63.46 million MT by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 2.98% during the forecast period of 2025-2030.

The GCC Food market holds immense potential for growth and innovation due to its strategic location and the region's burgeoning population. The food in this region is a delightful blend of flavors, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and the availability of diverse ingredients.

The GCC food market growth is driven by factors such as increased population, per capita income, and tourism. The millennial population is increasingly recognizing the importance of health and well-being, leading to a market for plant-based and organic food products. The GCC food sector has become more self-reliant over the last decade, driven by government efforts to increase domestic food production, reduce food wastage, support research and development, and streamline logistics. Governments have invested heavily in expanding local desalination capacity, supporting the growth of various fruits, vegetables, and cereals.

GCC food market is fragmented and competitive. In the coming years, the industry is likely to witness consolidation amid cost-containment issues and limited room for differentiation in service offerings. The M&As deals during the last two years comprised of a handful of cross-border and intra-regional acquisitions as companies focused on strengthening their position and expanding their portfolio, both domestically and internationally.

Saudi Arabia held the highest market share in terms of both, consumption and production in 2024. The growth is attributed to large consumer base, growing tourism sector, economic development, rising disposable income, and increasing preference for healthy, protein-rich food due to rising prevalence of NCDs. The government's efforts to enhance food security and reduce dependence on imports have led to increased domestic food production. The country plans to build 1,000 new dams and develop a US$10 billion action plan to boost domestic production, diversify food sources, and reduce dependence on imports, which will further drive the local food production in the region.

On the other hand, Bahrain is expected to record the highest food consumption growth in the GCC, with a significant GDP rise between 2024 and 2030. Bahrain's growing tourism and population are expected to drive a strong demand for food. In November 2023, Bahrain launched a national strategic food production project that will generate large stocks locally. Under the project, local produce from farms are expected to reach more than 520 tonnes by 2024 with the first shrimp aquafarming scheme to be introduced amongst several fisheries aquafarms across the country.

Private sector participants are exploring opportunities for value engineering, optimizing efficiencies, and leveraging strong partnerships to build a robust food ecosystem. The GCC nations are also establishing strategic partnerships and investing in agricultural lands abroad to strengthen their food security system and meet rising demand. The industry is undergoing significant transformation, focusing on reinventing itself by deploying higher levels of automation and new hydroponic and organic farming techniques. GCC food market by production in 2024 stood at 17.81 million MT.

The GCC's arid conditions, including high temperatures, rare rainfall, and limited non-renewable groundwater resources, hinder conventional agriculture. The region relies heavily on food imports, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE being the largest importers. However, initiatives like organic farming and technology-enabled processes have helped boost production, reducing dependency on imports. GCC food market by imports stood at 35.19 million MT in 2024.

Market Segmentation Analysis

By Category: According to the report, the GCC food market is segmented into six segments based on the category: cereals, fruits, vegetables, milk, meat and others. Cereals have remained the most consumed food category in the GCC in 2024, primarily because cereals like rice, wheat, and barley are staple foods of the region. Also, cereals remained the largest food item imported in the region. However, the consumption of cereals declined during the historical years. Whereas, vegetables segment is the fastest growing segment, primarily due to rise in health awareness among consumers and as consumers turn health conscious amid the rising incidence of NCDs, the demand for fresh produce and pesticide-free food with high nutritional value increases.

By production, fruits segment acquired majority of share in the market in 2024, primarily due to favorable climatic conditions, advanced agricultural practices, and strategic initiatives. Certain areas within the GCC boast climates conducive to fruit cultivation, and the region has embraced advanced agricultural technologies like controlled environment agriculture and precision farming.

Competitive Landscape and Recent Developments

The key players are constantly investing in strategic initiatives, such as adoption of new technologies, introducing their services to emerging markets, new launch, expansion, collaboration, investment, and more, to maintain a competitive edge in this market. For instance, On November 07, 2024, Al Islami Foods, announced the launch of its extensive processed food range in Qatar, including items such as Burgers, Nuggets, Franks, Kebab, Zing, Mince, etc.

In addition, in February 2023, Almarai completed the acquisition of International Dairy and Juice Limited (IDJ), a former PepsiCo joint venture in Egypt and Jordan and in August 2023, Foodco collaborated with MGolden Group in Kuwait to expand its FMCG distribution capabilities across the region. In August 2023, Foodco collaborated with MGolden Group in Kuwait to expand its FMCG distribution capabilities across the region.

GCC Food Market Dynamics

Growth Drivers

• Favorable Demographics
• GDP Growth
• Urbanization/ Modernization
• Expanding Food Services Sector
• Rising Tourism Activity

Challenges

• Harsh Climatic Conditions and Limited Resources
• Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

Market Trends

• Growing Awareness of Healthy Eating Habits
• Rising demand for Organic Food
• Technological Advancements
• Government Initiatives

Key players of GCC food market are:

• Agthia Group PJSC
• Al Islami Foods
• Mezzan Holding Co. KSCP (only Arabic)
• Almarai Co.
• National Agriculture Development Company (only Arabic)
• Saudi Dairy & Foodstuff Company
• Trafco Group B.S.C
• Al Ain Farms
• Widam Food Co. (only Arabic)
• IFFCO International Foodstuffs Co. LLC
• Barakat Group
• Oman Foodstuff Factory Ltd

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yntcze

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