Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources: The Kingdom has achieved a high level of self-sufficiency in a number of food products.
His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef, confirmed that the Kingdom has achieved a high level of self-sufficiency in a number of food products, exceeding the required level for dairy products, while achieving 70% self-sufficiency in poultry, 57% in red meat, and 60% in fish. He noted that Saudi food exports amounted to more than 17 billion riyals in 2022 and are expected to reach more than 40 billion riyals by 2035.
During his participation in a panel discussion at the Saudi Food 2030 exhibition, Alkhorayef emphasized that Saudi Arabia is no longer solely focused on achieving self-sufficiency and food security within the Kingdom; rather, it is seeking to achieve it across the region, given its unique geographic location, which qualifies it as an important hub for building industrial capabilities.
His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources explained that the National Industrial Strategy seeks to achieve several gains, the most important of which is increasing added value within the national economy. This strategy encompasses several sectors, including the food industry, which is crucial to national security and achieving self-sufficiency. His Excellency indicated that the Kingdom is open to attracting quality investments in the food industry, particularly from companies capable of transferring technology, creating innovative business models, and expanding market capacity and reaching out to the world.