Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Ireland’s Minister Charlie McConalogue joins trade mission to Riyadh

Ireland’s Minister Charlie McConalogue joins trade mission to Riyadh

Launching Bord Bia’s (the Irish Food Board) new three-year business strategy for the Middle East market which aims to significantly increase the export of Irish food products, Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D will lead Ireland’s trade mission to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday seeking to boost food exports.

The visit to the Kingdom coincides with new Bord Bia survey results of Saudi consumers being released which paints an insightful picture of the changed behaviours of people, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the survey results commissioned by Bord Bia, it shows that the pandemic has helped Saudi adults place a greater emphasis on the nutritional content of their food – especially around engaging with immune boosting credentials. These more health-conscious behavioural changes correlate with healthier food choices, with almost 9 in 10 Saudi shoppers (85%) saying that a health focus is important in the food that they buy. With 76% claiming to have increased their intake of food products with immunity boosting claims such as dairy. This is good news for Irish dairy exports to the Kingdom, which last year were valued at €91 million.

Ireland already exports agri-food to over 180 countries worldwide, reaching a new record of €13.5 billion in 2021. The industry-led strategy for the growth of the agri-food sector, Food Vision 2030, provides an ambitious and clear roadmap for the development of the sector and its aim is to increase agrifood exports to €21 billion by 2030.

Bord Bia has identified the the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) as key priority markets as it sets it sights on significantly growing Irish food and drink food exports to both countries, accounting for a combined 50% of current Irish trade to the Gulf states. In 2021, exports to the Middle East were estimated at €311 million, led by dairy, and dairy ingredients (€272 million), followed by consumer foods at €21 million. Fat-filled milk powder (FFMP) and infant food are the largest categories within dairy while consumer foods are led by ice-cream, juices, and meal solutions across the Middle East.

Signifying the importance placed on trade with Saudi Arabia Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. said, “The Middle East represents an important and rapidly growing market for Ireland and a market that is valuing the quality of Irish food and drink products. On this trade mission to Saudi Arabia, our goal is to explore developing closer links with key partners as we aim to grow food exports to the country alongside promoting the reputation of Ireland as a source of high quality sustainably produced meat, dairy, and other food products. There is enormous potential for the Irish food and drink industry in Saudi Arabia and through the support of Bord Bia, we will be looking to build further on the opportunities that exist in the country”.

Over 6 in 10 Saudi consumers are familiar with Irish food and drink, Ireland looks to build further into the KSA market

With Saudi Arabia identified as a priority market with significant opportunities to increase food exports, Ireland is ambitiously aiming to strengthen the presence of Irish food in this important market. With exports to Saudi Arabia estimated at just over €100m in 2021, the new Bord Bia Middle East strategy aims to significantly grow this over the next three years.

80% of Saudi consumers state that they are willing to spend more on quality produce including fresh meat since the start of the pandemic. With around half (49%) of Saudi consumers reporting the growing importance of ‘naturalness’ as a criteria of food and drink purchasing, because of the pandemic, Irish food producers are well placed to meet this demand with products which are globally recognised for their premium quality and naturalness.

This ambitious new regional strategy will directly contribute to the global Bord Bia strategy which sets out the objective to help grow the value of Irish dairy exports by 10.5% or €508 million to a value of €5.6 billion through investment in market development in markets including the Middle East. Another key objective in Bord Bia’s three-year global strategy is to help grow the total value of consumer foods exports by 14% to the value of €2.8 billion by 2025 in priority markets.

Tara McCarthy, Chief Executive of Bord Bia, said, “Saudi Arabia is a priority market for Bord Bia as we aim to significantly grow the value of Irish food exports to the country from just over €100 million last year. This trade mission to Saudi Arabia will mark the start of an intensified programme of activity undertaken by Bord Bia to promote Irish food products and their producers to local partners who place a value on high quality food products. Trade missions such as this are a valuable means of raising the profile of Ireland as a food producing nation and unlocking commercial opportunities for Irish food and drink companies.”

On the KSA leg of the Irish trade mission, Minister McConalogue will meet with Hisham Bin Saad Al-Jadhey, CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) to discuss areas for greater cooperation between Ireland and Saudi Arabia.

Being more sustainably focused is on the rise with Saudi consumers


The pandemic has also contributed to a greater focus on the reduction of food waste in Saudi Arabia while also seeing a greater emphasis on the importance of longer shelf life. Half (51%) of Saudi consumers are trying to reduce food waste now, more so than they were prior to Covid-19, with 1 in 3 of these claiming that they are continuing to do so. The environmental impact of the food choices they make is at the forefront of 4 in 10 consumers’ minds. Reducing packaging and plastic are of more importance to Saudi consumers now when buying food.

Almarai Hosts Origin Green Ambassador


The Irish trade delegation will visit Almarai, the largest vertically integrated dairy company in the world and the biggest food and beverage producer and distributor in the Middle East, with an estimated turnover of €2.4 billion.

With sustainability as a key element of the Saudi Vision 2030, Bord Bia welcomed the announcement that Almarai will host an Origin Green Ambassador placement in Saudi Arabia. Placed with global businesses that are playing leading roles in sustainability development, Origin Green Ambassadors become the conduit between global commercial businesses and Ireland’s unique Origin Green programme as they focus on developing sustainability focused initiatives.

Commenting on Almarai hosting an Origin Green Ambassador, Tara McCarthy said, “In a world of challenged resources, the case for sustainability has become largely self-evident. Within the food industry, it is now recognised as a priority issue. I’m proud to say Ireland has been a leader in this area for the last decade - since its launch in 2012, Origin Green has put the Irish food and drink industry to the fore of this global conversation. I am delighted that Almarai joins the ranks of globally leading and successful businesses that partner with Origin Green by hosting Ambassadors who help develop sustainability focused initiatives backed by Bord Bia”.

Bord Bia is the Irish government agency that manages the promotion, trade development and marketing of the Irish food, drink, and horticulture industry.  Headquartered in Dublin, Bord Bia supports the national and international ambitions of Irish food, drink and horticulture businesses through its highly focused organisational structure and its network of offices in EMEA, Asia and the USA. Based in the Dubai office, Kieran Fitzgerald, the newly appointed Regional Director of Middle East for Bord Bia will look to drive further growth across the Middle East region.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×