The Complete Guide to Importing Avocado in Saudi Arabia 2024

Saudi Arabia is a fast growing destination for avocados in the Middle East region. The population of the country is swelling at a rate of about 1.6% per year. While 83% of the inhabitants live in the nation’s several large cities.

Over the past decade, there has been a surge in avocado consumption in Saudi Arabia. During the cool winter months and part of the summer, the demand for fruits, including avocado, spikes. What’s more is the strong tradition of eating fruit in many Saudi households. The avocado is becoming a common part of the fruit basket in homes.

Saudi Arabia Avocado Imports

Considering that avocado production in Saudi Arabia is non-existent, avocado imports flood the domestic market for most part of the year. In 2021, Saudi Arabia shipped in just above 11,000 tons of avocado. Although it is a slight decrease from the previous year, it is another record high since 2014.

Here is the import volume of avocados in Saudi Arabia between 2012 and 2021.

 

Importing Avocados in Saudi Arabia

Here is a step by step guide on how to import avocados in Saudi Arabia:

Avocado Supplying Countries to Saudi Arabia

The avocado import market in Saudi Arabia is dominated by Kenya. In 2020, it was the largest supplier of avocados to Saudi Arabia accounting for more than half of the total imports. The Saudi avocado market is characterized by a diversity of sources.

The other key avocado exporting countries to Saudi Arabia are:

1. Spain
2. South Africa
3. The United States (US)
4. Mexico
5. Chile

It also imports avocado in small volumes from countries like:

1. Lebanon
2. Syria
3. The Netherlands

Saudi Arabia brings avocado from abroad through its main commercial sea port. Avocados get into the country as sea freight by way of the Jeddah Islamic Port. The ports of King Abdullah and Abdulaziz also have container terminals.

The other way avocados enter the Saudi Arabia is through its biggest airports. Avocados come in as air freight by way of either the King Khalid or King Abdulaziz International Airport. These airports have cargo terminals.

How to Know Reliable Avocado Suppliers in Saudi Arabia

Avocado importers in Saudi Arabia must present the following documents for their shipment to be released by the customs office:

1. Import permit
2. Commercial invoice
3. Packing list
4. Bill of Lading or Airway Bill
5. Phytosanitary Certificate
6. Certificate of Origin

Sourcing Avocados from Kenya

Here are some advantages Kenya has in supplying avocados to Saudi Arabia:

• It has a longer season that lasts from February to October.
• Production costs are low therefore avocados from Kenya are competitively priced.
• Most of Kenya is covered by a sub-tropical climate which ensures consistent avocado production year after year.

Average Transit Time of Importing Avocados in Saudi Arabia

COUNTRY	AIR FREIGHT	SEA FREIGHT
Kenya	4 hours 20 minutes	10 days
South Africa	8 hours	18 days
US	15 hours 30 minutes	27 days
Mexico	17 hours 45 minutes	36 days

 

Here is one of the top avocado exporters 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.