Saudi Food Summit to provide invaluable global perspectives to market entrants

100,000+ products to be showcased by 1000+ exhibitors, 45% new to show

80+ star chefs to boost Saudi Arabia’s attractiveness as region’s culinary nexus

The second Saudi Food Show, the largest global F&B sourcing event in the Kingdom, gets underway at Riyadh Front, with the Saudi F&B industry on the cusp of huge growth. This year’s show, which runs until 23 May, will take place once again under the patronage of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, His Excellency Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, with the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) as Strategic Partner.

Following last year’s hugely successful debut, organisers KAOUN International and dmg events have taken the show to a new level for 2024 with over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing more than 100,000 product innovations, 97 countries represented, and over 90 speakers, many new to the Kingdom, with proven successes Top Table Saudi and Youth X Saudi returning in expanded formats.

Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President, Dubai World Trade Centre commented, “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. This week Saudi Arabia will welcome the largest ever international F&B community vying to create trade opportunities with the local market to further spur innovation and collaboration.”

Opening the Saudi Food Summit, His Excellency Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources shall deliver a visionary keynote to address and tour the exhibition to meet the participants. The rest of the first day, which will be curated by Saudi Food Show Strategic Partner MODON, will be 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 stressed that “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 bases of 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”.

He added that the food and beverage industry accounts for approximately 20% 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 4.0, 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 metres, with an investment value exceeding SAR 415 billion until the end of 2023”.

Across the second and third days, over 90 leaders from the public and private sector, including ministries, food investors, retailers, innovators and food service providers will give insights into how best to capitalise 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 taking a deep dive into Saudi Arabia’s shifting F&B retail landscape will be 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 flavours 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 AlSaidi, Executive Vice President – Food at Panda Retail.

He continued “Events like the Saudi Food show are where we come together to celebrate our shared love for food and culture. This without a doubt marks a step in the right direction, for the industry”.

The final day will see the first edition of a new workshop series, Saudifoodpreneur. Bespoke workshops and business support clinics, delivered by industry experts and successful entrepreneurs, will help F&B start-ups and entrepreneurs to navigate the Kingdom’s F&B scene, providing the knowledge and skills to enter – and thrive in – Saudi Arabia’s vibrant market. Saudifoodpreneur will be curated by Homegrown CPG, Pitch Lounge, and Marketing Strategizer.

Top Table Saudi

Top Table Saudi will bring the largest-ever showcase of international and regional celebrity chefs, top restaurants and hotels under one roof in the Kingdom, including Simon Rogan, 3-Michelin starred chef of L’Enclume in the UK and a pioneer of the UK’s farm-to-table movement; Fatih Tutak, Chef and Owner of TURK, Turkey’s first 2-Michelin starred restaurant in Istanbul; internationally-acclaimed Lebanese chef Maroun Chedid; Ian Pengelley, Chef Director of MFC in Saudi Arabia; Mona Mosly, one of the region’s most recognisable female celebrity chefs, renowned for her creative and innovative twist on classic dishes; multi-award winning chef and restauranteur Sami Tamimi, co-owner of six London restaurants and author of several best-selling cookbooks; Layla Fathallah, UNEP Advocate on food waste in West Asia; Luca Rossie, Head Chef at Myazu; Barry Andrews, Executive Chef at Robata; Marc Coetzee, Executive Chef at Chi Spacca; Steve Gibbs, Executive Chef at Scotts; and Roy De Castro, Executive Sushi Chef at Kyazo. From the hotel side, teams from the Fairmont, Four Seasons, Hilton, and Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh will also be taking part in YouthX Saudi. This year the teams will work to raise awareness of the issue of food waste, in partnership with the UN Environment Programme and its ‘Recipe for Change’ initiative.