The second Saudi Food Show, the largest global F&B sourcing event in the Kingdom, was held from May 21-23 at ROSHN Front. This year’s show took place once again under the patronage of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef, with the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones, or MODON, as strategic partner.
Following last year’s hugely successful debut, organizers KAOUN International and dmg events took the show to a new level this year with more than 1,000 exhibitors showcasing over 100,000 product innovations, 97 countries represented, and over 90 speakers, many new to the Kingdom. Proven successes Top Table Saudi and Youth X Saudi returned in expanded formats.
Trixie LohMirmand, executive vice president, Dubai World Trade Centre, said: “The highly successful inaugural edition last year has given Saudi Food Show the momentum to return double in size and impact for this second edition.”
After opening the Saudi Food Show, Minister Alkhorayef delivered a visionary keynote and toured the exhibition to meet the participants. The rest of the first day, which was curated by MODON, was an opportunity to understand the role of technology in improving the efficiency of food production in the Kingdom, how Saudi Arabia is investing in human capital development in the F&B sector in order to remain competitive, and the role of fintech in supporting the F&B industry from a financial perspective.
Ali Alomeir, VP of business development at MODON, said: “MODON attaches great importance to the localization of the food and beverage industry, to contribute to achieving food security for the Kingdom, in partnership with the local and foreign private sector. This is in keeping with its main role in the National Strategy for Industry and Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the national economy, as the F&B sector is one of the pillars of developing local content and enhancing the contribution of the non-oil sector to the gross domestic product.”
Alomeir added the food and beverage industry accounts for approximately 20 percent of the total number of factories in industrial cities, noting that: “MODON continues to develop its investment environment, and provide it with all services, industrial, logistical and digital capabilities and applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in accordance with the best standards of competitiveness, until its 36 industrial cities, spread across the Kingdom, are a preferred destination for investment growth. These industrial cities currently include 6,443 factories, more than 7,900 industrial, investment and logistics contracts, and developed areas exceeding 209 million square meters, with an investment value exceeding SR415 billion ($110.6 billion) until the end of 2023.”
Across the second and third days, more than 90 leaders from the public and private sector, including ministries, food investors, retailers, innovators and food service providers gave insights into how best to capitalize on the opportunities that the Saudi F&B market presents, and ultimately thrive as an F&B business in the Kingdom, through a series of keynote addresses, panel sessions and curated workshops.
On the second day of the summit, one of the key brands that took a deep dive into Saudi Arabia’s shifting F&B retail landscape was Panda, the largest grocery retailer in the Kingdom. “As part of the Panda Retail team, we’re passionate about bringing the best of Saudi Arabia’s flavors to your table through supporting local businesses, and working with key global players. Our commitment isn’t just about groceries; it’s about community empowerment,” said Bandar Al-Saidi, executive vice president — food at Panda Retail.