Avocados are easy to come by in Saudi Arabia. They are now found almost everywhere in the country from supermarkets to wholesale markets for fruits and vegetables. Similarly, they are served in restaurants, hotels and juice specialty shops.
Seeing as Saudi Arabia is an attractive market for most fruit, avocado is easily marketable. The country’s growing middle class is the main factor behind an uptick in avocado consumption. On top of that, many Saudis have spent time abroad and hence are aware of modern healthy food trends. Consumers in Saudi Arabia who prefer high quality fresh produce are increasing in number.
Saudi Arabia Avocado Imports
In 2023, Saudi Arabia shipped in almost 9,000 tonnes of avocado. Although it’s a slight decrease from the previous year, its another record high volume since 2014. The avocado market in Saudi Arabia is dominated by Kenya.
Here is the import volume of avocados from Kenya in Saudi Arabia between 2012 and 2023.
Avocado Market in Saudi Arabia
Avocados from Kenya have proved to be a hit in Saudi Arabia. Over the past decade, their import value has risen sharply. Kenyan avocado exports to Saudi Arabia were worth 3 million US Dollars in 2012 and reached about 8 million US Dollars in 2023.
Saudi Arabia brings Kenyan avocados through its main commercial sea port. Avocados get into the country as sea freight by way of the Jeddah Islamic Port. The sea port has refrigerated container stations.
The other way avocados from Kenya enter Saudi Arabia is through its main airport. Avocados get into the country as air freight by way of the King Abdulaziz International Airport. The airport has a cargo terminal and cold storage rooms to keep avocados fresh as they were when harvested.
Avocado in Saudi Arabia
Importing avocado into Saudi Arabia shows no signs of slowing down. This is because 67% of Saudi’s population is under 35 according to a 2020 study from the General Authority for Statistics. With such a young population, demand for the fruit is expected to remain high.
Avocado imports have to first go through the Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority. They are then tested using certain food safety protocols set by the Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). The government of Saudi Arabia sets the requirements for importers of horticultural produce like avocado through the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
Avocado from Kenya
Here are some advantages Kenya has in supplying avocados to Saudi Arabia:
- The transit time from Kenya to Saudi Arabia is about 4 hours 20 minutes via air freight and about 10 days via sea freight. This is shorter compared to those from South American countries.
- The short journey also means avocado importers in Saudi Arabia incur lower logistical costs.
- Hass, Fuerte and other minor commercial green skin varieties grow in Kenya. They are also available in mixed sizes.
- It has a longer season that lasts from February to October.
- Kenyan avocados are competitively priced as a result of relatively low production costs.
- Most of Kenya is covered by a sub-tropical climate which ensures consistency of quality and supply.
Here is a top avocado exporter in Kenya
Freshela Exporters
Freshela is a Kenyan based company that engages in the sourcing, processing and exporting of avocados and other fresh produce.
Freshela is a proud exporter of Kenyan avocados. We source avocados from our company farm and partner farms.
We give competitive pricing to our customers and guarantee reliable delivery time.
We use a modern grading machine to achieve desired avocado weight. The fruit is also graded to eliminate any with physical quality defects.
We pack avocado fruit for both air and sea freights. All of our avocado packing is approved by FDA and is certified by HACCP Quality Assurance.