KARACHI: A Pakistani clothing manufacturer is seeking to expand sales of Saudi Arabia’s traditional men’s garment, the thobe, using South Asian customers as a foothold while developing fabrics and tailoring suited to the Kingdom’s market.

The long, loose-fitting garment is widely worn in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. For an overseas manufacturer, entering that market means adapting to established preferences for fabric, stitching and fit, rather than simply offering a cheaper product.

Saudi Arabia’s large expatriate population provides another customer base alongside Saudi buyers. Pakistan has identified textiles as a sector with potential to expand exports to the Kingdom as it seeks to turn longstanding diplomatic ties into stronger commercial relationships.

“Approximately 60 percent are Asian customers living in the Kingdom,” said Shahrukh Haroon, founder of Karachi-based S. Haroon Ethnic Clothing, which sells under the Al-Turab brand. “They include Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and people from other Asian countries.”

Haroon estimated that customers originally from Arab countries accounted for the remaining 40 percent.

The company began operating in the Saudi market in 2023, supplying a retailer serving Arab customers outside central Makkah and a wholesaler in Madinah. Its customers are spread across Riyadh, Dammam, Jubail, Makkah and Madinah, he said.

“Our initial trial shipment of ready-made thobes to Saudi Arabia consisted of approximately 700 pieces,” Haroon said, adding that the consignment was dispatched on December 18, 2025.

Prospective wholesalers are now discussing requirements totaling around 2,000 thobes, with deliveries envisaged ahead of Ramadan and Hajj. Orders and schedules have not been finalized.

ADAPTING TO SAUDI TASTES

Haroon said meeting Saudi customers’ expectations for fabric quality, weight and stitching had been the main challenge.

“It is very difficult for outsiders to manufacture a country’s traditional clothing better than the people who have worn it for generations,” he said.

The company initially sourced fabric from China, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia before working with Pakistani textile mills to develop local alternatives.

“We provided samples, conducted laboratory tests and went through several rounds of development,” he said. “Today, we are in a position to supply fabric that meets the required standards.”

Through a partnership with another Pakistani business, around 35,000 meters of locally developed fabric were shipped to Saudi Arabia, followed by a consignment exceeding 50,000 meters, according to Haroon.

He said lower labor costs could give Pakistani producers a competitive advantage, provided they mastered Saudi tailoring patterns.

“Once Pakistani manufacturers master those patterns, there is enormous potential for Pakistan to serve the Saudi market,” he said.

Al-Turab’s standard thobes cost around Rs5,000 to Rs6,000 ($18 to $22), while customized garments sell for Rs8,000 to Rs12,000 ($29 to $43), depending on fabric and design.

The factory employs around 52 workers and produces 3,000 to 4,000 thobes monthly across its business, against a capacity of 8,000, Haroon said.

He started the company in 2017 after struggling to find properly tailored thobes in Karachi. Wholesale exports expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic as overseas retailers sought alternative suppliers.

The company now exports regularly to around six countries, including the Netherlands, Algeria, the United States and Britain.

For its next step in Saudi Arabia, Al-Turab is discussing a partnership with a Saudi-registered company to sell through Amazon, Noon and its own website. No agreement has been finalized.

“S. Haroon alone cannot capture the entire market,” Haroon said, arguing that other Pakistani manufacturers also had room to compete.