British lamb and dairy businesses have headed to Saudi Arabia in a bid to meet growing consumer demand and build on export opportunities in the kingdom.
Exporters from both sectors have this week joined AHDB at the Saudi Food Show, which is currently underway in the country's capital, Riyadh.
Although Saudi Arabia is not the UK's biggest market for lamb in the region, it has been identified as one of the markets with strong growth potential for exporters.
Research carried out by AHDB last year revealed that adapting to consumer buying behaviour could present opportunities for British beef and lamb exporters in the Middle East.
The research explored consumer buying behaviour for red meat across the region, including Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Food Show is the kingdom’s leading event for food sourcing, giving UK lamb and dairy exporters the opportunity to meet key buyers.
Dr Awal Fuseini, AHDB senior halal manager, said participating in the show was a great opportunity for producers and exporters to meet with key industry buyers.
He said: "Strong population growth, coupled with limited domestic production capacity and a high regard for our production standards presents an opportunity for quality British lamb to meet increasing consumer demand.
“A key factor in achieving this is understanding consumer trends to help enable our exporters align their products accordingly to satisfy what the market wants."
Saudi Arabia is also a large importer of cheese, which is the most valuable category in the dairy market, accounting for more than 30% of total dairy spends.
It is the largest dairy consumer among the GCC countries, with high population growth and per capita helping drive increasing consumption of milk and other dairy products.
“While the dairy market in Saudi Arabia is highly competitive, there are opportunities for UK exporters, with strong demand for cheese and butter," explained Lucy Randolph, AHDB head of trade development.
"The Saudi Food Show will provide us with a platform to get in front of key buyers, showcase our world class dairy produce and strengthen our foothold in this important market.”
