Saudi Arabia Fresh Food Packaging Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

The fresh food packaging market in Saudi Arabia is valued at around US$602.344 million in 2024 and is anticipated to grow to US$767.442 million by 2029 at a CAGR of 4.96%.

Fresh foods are products that are not processed or have any added preservatives. They generally include products like dairy, meats, fruits, vegetables, and fish or seafood. Food packaging ensures the preparation of food for safe transportation, supply, storage, retailing, and finally, delivery to the end user. Various types of materials are used for packaging the food, like low- and high-density polyethylene, aluminum, tin, and cardboard.

Multiple methods are available in the market for packaging food, like aspect packaging, where food products, especially liquids, are packed into previously sterilized containers and cans, where foods like soups, beans, and mais are packed into cans made of steel, tin, or aluminum. Other methods of food packaging include trays, bags, boxes, wrappers, and cartons.

Saudi Arabia's fresh food packaging market size rapidly growing. In recent years, the market has seen tremendous growth, mainly due to the increasing demand for processed and convenience foods. Saudi Arabia is one of the major exporters of wheat, dates, dairy products, eggs, fish, poultry, fruits, and vegetables in the Middle East region.

In 2023, Saudi Arabia’s food and agricultural product imports from the USA alone reached US$1.46 billion, a minor decrease from 2022, which was US$1.57 billion. According to the USA Foreign Agricultural Service, some of the products imported by Saudi Arabia include corn (US$181.26 million), tree nuts (US$152.35 million), soybean (US$8871 million), and dairy products (US$95.87 million).

Furthermore, various factors can cause an increase in the food packaging industry in Saudi Arabia, like an increase in the import and export of fishery and meat products. In 2022, the export of fishery and marine products of Saudi Arabia increased by 35.5%, to 48 thousand tons, from 35 thousand tons exported in 2021. The import of fishery and marine products also increased from 236 thousand tons in 2021 to 266 thousand tons. Apart from import and export, the nations also re-export some products under the marine and fishery sector, which was valued at 10 thousand tons in 2021 and decreased to 7 thousand tons in 2022.

Market Drivers:

An increase in fishery and marine industries is anticipated to increase the demand for fresh food packaging.

In 2022, Saudi Arabia witnessed an increase of 1.4% in its fishery and marine production, with about 64,264 metric tons of catches. With the rise in the catching of the fishery, the need for safe packaging with proper sterilization processes, and accessible methods that it can be further transported, stored, and delivered to the consumer also rises.

The nation’s marine and fishery catches are also being exported to various countries like China, the USA, and the UK, especially shrimp. Such products are also required to be packed in a safer and more accessible way for transporting and to avoid contamination.

An increase in dairy production and export also pushes the demand for the packaging industry forward.

Another major driving factor for the fresh food packaging industry is the increase in dairy production in Saudi Arabia. According to the UN report, in 2022, Saudi Arabia produced about 3.15 million tons of milk equivalent and exported about 1.25 million tons. This increase in the production and export of dairy products requires thorough processing and safe packaging for transportation across the country as well as to other countries.

The country also imports various dairy products, such as cheese, butter, and milk powders, in large quantities from countries like India, Australia, and New Zealand. These are later packed and distributed to different wholesalers and retailers all across the country.

Market Restraint:

Heavy dependency on the import of raw materials, including the fresh foods supply

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One of the major challenges for Saudi Arabia’s fresh food packaging industry is its heavy dependency on imports. The nation is one of the biggest importers of food and agricultural products in the world, as the nation lacks the environmental landscape to produce various products. Although, with the introduction of technologies, the nation’s dependency on various products like wheat, dairy products, and vegetables decreases, it is not enough to fulfill the country’s needs. This dependency on imports creates a shortage of raw materials for foods, and even packaging materials, for the companies operating in the food packaging industry in the country.

Key Developments:

• In April 2024, Sabic, in partnership with Napco National and Fonte, launched the country’s first bread packaging made from fully post-consumer recycled plastic.
• In April 2023, Hotpack Global, a UAE company, planned to invest about SAR 1 billion (US$ 270 million) in Saudi Arabia to build a mega plant for packaging products.

Segmentation:

By Materials Type

• Flexible plastic 
• Rigid plastic 
• Paper and paperboard

By Application

• Poultry & Meat Products
• Dairy Products
• Produce (Vegetables and Fruits)
• Sea Food