Saudi Arabia Ready Meals Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Saudi Arabia Ready Meals Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Saudi Arabian ready meals market was valued at USD 18.18 million in 2020, and it is projected to witness a CAGR of 5.43% during the forecast period (2021 - 2026).

During COVID-19, individuals in Saudi Arabia exceeded their needs and used to buy and stock up on groceries as they feared food insecurity. Among Saudi consumers, stress-eating became very common due to lockdown, with an increased tendency toward craving ethnic foods, or foods that resemble HRI standards and taste, thus facilitating the market growth for ready meals in various forms.

Also, due to the closures of many hypermarkets and supermarkets in the region, the online retail channel is supporting the sales of this category. Owing to this, consumers are increasingly ordering their food and beverage requirements via online retail stores to minimize the spread of the COVID virus.

The GCC population is booming, and the middle-class population has been expanding rapidly over the years, driven by a sizeable number of expatriates who account for 52% of the total regional population. Saudi Arabia has the largest population in the region, with over 33 million residents in 2018, growing at an annual rate of 2.0%. Thus, the youth, representing over 50% (under 25 years of age) of Saudi Arabia’s population, are particularly influenced by global consumer trends, which drives the demand for international food and foreign cuisines through both HRI and packaged formats in retail, thus driving the ready meals market in the country.

While the continuous influx of expatriates from different geographies may introduce diverse cuisines in the region, growing awareness of healthy eating habits may boost the demand for organic ingredients-infused ready meals in the country.

Key Market TrendsIncreasing Demand for Convenience Food Products and Emergence of Hectic Lifestyle Attributes

Convenience food is the type of food that requires minimum or no further preparation before consumption. This category includes canned food, packaged food or meals, frozen food, preserved food, and instant products. With technological innovations in the food industry, the range of convenience food includes chilled, frozen, portion-controlled, shelf-stable, microwave-able, and prepared mixes. Frozen food holds a huge share in this segment.

Owing to the increasing number of women entering the workforce in Saudi Arabia, along with changing lifestyles, the demand for frozen meals and ingredients is increasing significantly. In emerging markets, like the Middle East, a relatively increasing disposable income is creating a new class, which is eager to experience new goods and services. This is likely to drive the market for ready meals over the forecast period in the country.

Increasing Consumption of Ambient Ready Meals

Saudi consumers increasingly seek convenience-oriented options to accommodate their active professional lifestyles. A diverse urban landscape is driving the demand for convenient, ready-to-eat, processed, preserved, and frozen foods in the country, which are shelf-stable and do not require refrigeration.

Rio Mare remained the leading brand in providing shelf-stable ready meals due to its strong presence and widely recognized products. Shelf-stable ready meals have been gaining popularity in recent years, especially since 2018, after the launch of Goody Tuna Meals – high-quality tuna meals that are available in convenient, ready-to-eat pots. Goody Tuna Meals are available in several variants, including Mediterranean mix, spicy Thai quinoa, Mexican habanero, and golden corn mix.

Competitive Landscape

Some of the major companies operating in the market studied are Majid Al Futtaim (Carrefour), Basamh Trading Co., Americana Group, Al Watania, and Al Kabeer Group, as these companies have extensive portfolios of the product. Due to the increased demand for ready meals in the country, companies are constantly strategizing toward production expansion, which is likely to increase the production capacity. Additionally, this expansion is likely to bring improvement in the final product, so the supply remains in sync with the increasing demand.

Additionally, the increasing demand for ready meals and high economies scale has enabled the market to witness an emergence of private label ready to meal hitting shelves through various promotional offers and discounts. Thus, increasing the market competitiveness further.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

Companies Mentioned
 
Sunbulah Group
Carrefour
Basamh Trading Co.
Americana Group
Savola Group
Al Watania Group
Bolton Group SRL
Al Karamah Dough Production Co. Ltd

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