Baku: Saudi Arabia is witnessing an unprecedented strategic transformation in its food industry, driven by Saudi Vision 2030, which views the sector as a vital pillar for achieving sustainable development and national security, as well as a key driver for strengthening and diversifying the national economy.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the National Industrial Strategy places the food industry among the priority sectors targeted for development and localization, aiming to achieve self-sufficiency, bolster food security, and establish Saudi Arabia as a leading industrial hub for food manufacturing regionally and globally.
In line with these objectives, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef visited Vietnam to discuss enhancing international industrial partnerships. The visit explored opportunities to attract strategic investments and transfer advanced technologies to the Kingdom in promising sectors such as food manufacturing and halal products.
Alkhorayef held a series of high-level meetings with major Vietnamese food companies, including Masan Group and Vinafood II, focusing on strengthening industrial cooperation, exchanging expertise, exploring joint investment opportunities, and transferring advanced food manufacturing technologies. Discussions also addressed leveraging global best practices in the sector.
In his meeting with leaders of Masan Group -- which operates an integrated system for manufacturing canned food and beverage, including chilled meat products -- the minister discussed food industry localization in Saudi Arabia. He discussed export opportunities to Middle Eastern and African markets alongside the development of products tailored to regional consumer preferences. Talks also explored improving logistics efficiency through joint transport and storage solutions, as well as investment in new production lines and future expansions, laying the groundwork for deep industrial collaboration in manufacturing and production.
Alkhorayef held productive discussions with Vinafood II, one of the world's largest rice exporters that operates vast storage, milling, and drying facilities such as the Thap Dong complex. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral food security and exploring cooperation in developing integrated cold chain and logistics solutions, as well as transferring expertise to support the establishment and operation of advanced grain logistics centers in Saudi Arabia.
The talks underscored the Kingdom's position as the largest food market in the Middle East and a global re-export hub. They underscored opportunities to enhance partnerships between Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, which would support the localization of food manufacturing in the Kingdom and facilitate Vietnamese products' access to Saudi and Middle Eastern markets.
The conversations showcased Saudi Arabia's latest initiatives to develop its food industry, including specialized industrial clusters such as the Food Industries Cluster in Jeddah, spanning 11 million square meters and directly connected to Jeddah Islamic Port. The cluster offers world-class infrastructure and logistics to support local manufacturing and international exports. Other initiatives include a dairy industrial cluster in Al-Kharj, project that reflects the Kingdom's firm commitment to developing a globally competitive food industry capable of meeting future needs.
Such ambition requires strengthening partnerships with global leaders in the food sector. The active partnerships with Vietnam come as Saudi Arabia's food sector continues rapid growth, with a market value estimated at SAR154 billion in 2019 and projected to reach SAR214 billion by 2030. Through the National Industrial Strategy, the Kingdom seeks to boost strategic investments to expand local production, ensure food security, and open wider horizons for sector growth.