Saudi Arabia Goat Meat and Cheese Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Saudi Arabia goat meat and cheese market is projected to grow with a CAGR of 5.72% during the forecast period (2020 - 2025).

Key Highlights

• The market is primarily driven by the rising health-consciousness of consumers who actively seek protein-rich food products. Moreover, factors, such as the increasing number of government-run health and wellness campaigns, designed to combat obesity and related problems (diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and high cholesterol), are encouraging consumers to purchase healthier products. This is directly fueling the goat cheese market in Saudi Arabia.
• According to a research article, 72.4% of Saudi Arabian people over the age of 40 years suffer from obesity. Moreover, 35.4% of the total population in the country is obese (44% women and 26.4% men). Thus, most consumers are in search of healthy, natural, or organic food options.
• Further, goat cheese is great for digestion and contains fewer calories, as compared to bovine cheese. In addition, it also contains vitamins, especially vitamins A, B1, B2, and B3, calcium, phosphorous, and proteins. This health factor is driving the market demand for goat cheese. The demand is expected to further increase during the forecast period.

Key Market Trends

Health Benefits Associated with the Consumption of Goat Milk and its Products

Goat milk provides approximately 94% of the recommended adult daily dietary allowance of essential amino acids, 78% of the riboflavin requirement, and 83% of the calcium requirement. The product, being rich in amino acids and calcium, is considered to be a good option to fulfill daily nutritional requirements. Furthermore, goat milk and other derived products, including cheese, comprise several bioactive compounds that are useful for consumers suffering from chronic diseases, including metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. Goat cheese provides healthy fats that help in losing weight and improving satiety. It also helps in promoting good intestinal health. Increasing heart problems among the Saudi population, owing to unhealthy eating habits, has led to a surge in deaths in the country. As per the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, in 2017, ischemic heart disease was the top-most reason for all deaths, and it was the second-most widespread reason for premature deaths in the country. As the graph depicts, the rate of ischemic heart diseases increased by 25.4%, from 2007 to 2017. Unhealthy lifestyles and faulty eating habits have led to high cholesterol levels and cardiovascular issues. The rising awareness about maintaining good health and preventing heart diseases will foster the demand for goat-derived products, as they provide various functional health benefits. Goat cheese comprises probiotics that are considered to be good for gut health. Diets that are rich in probiotics help reduce inflammation, promote digestive health, and boost immunity. These health benefits that are linked with the consumption of goat cheese positively impact the market growth.

Increasing Government Support to Escalate Imports into the Country

Saudi Arabia has a magnanimous demand for goat meat, and it is dependent on imports from other countries to satiate this demand. Thus, over the years, the country has been engaged in several trade deals with the major goat meat-producing countries and has been establishing new bonds to meet the local demand for high-quality meat. However, all these deals comply with the local regulations on animal slaughter. In February 2018, the Saudi authorities lifted the ban on importing sheep meat from the United Kingdom, for a deal worth GBP 25 million, under which negotiations and inspections were jointly carried out by Defra, AHDB, the Food Standards Agency, the UK Export Certification Partnership, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in the Northern Ireland Executive, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Meat Promotion Wales also worked with several Welsh processors, through the UK Export Certification Partnership, to remove Saudi Arabia’s restrictions on the import of British sheep and goat meat. Saudi Arabia has, for long, been identified as a priority future market for high-quality PGI Welsh lamb, and therefore, Meat Promotion Wales has also been pro-actively ensuring that the interested processors receive all the necessary certifications to export meat to the Kingdom. This is expected to result in potential gains, in the long run.

Competitive Landscape

The Saudi Arabia goat meat and cheese market is fragmented in nature owing to the presence of a large number of regional and domestic players. Emphasis is given on the merger, expansion, acquisition, and partnership of the companies along with new product development as strategic approaches adopted by the leading companies to boost their brand presence among consumers. Key players dominating the country's market include Lactalis American Group Inc., Delamere Dairy, Almarai Company, Saputo Cheese USA Inc., and Almarai Company, among others.

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