According to EastFruit, Egypt broke its own record of table grape exports to the Saudi Arabian market in 2023, as it shipped more than the entire previous year in just the first 10 months. Saudi Arabia had become the top importer of grapes from Egypt in 2022, and it further consolidated its position in the Egyptian export structure in 2023.
From January to October 2023, Egypt exported 33 thousand tons of table grapes to Saudi Arabia, a 16% increase from the total amount in 2022. This volume was also nearly double the average of the past five years, and more than five times the amount in 2018.
The main season of Egyptian grape exports to this market runs from May to October, but some Egyptian grapes can be found until February of the next year. Saudi Arabia was also the main destination of table grape exports from Egypt in 2023, followed by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands with 30 thousand tons each, and Germany with 21 thousand tons.
Saudi Arabia is one of the two major importers of grapes in the Middle East region, along with the UAE. It imports between 60 and 80 thousand tons of grapes every year, from both nearby Egypt and other distant sources.
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Egypt usually dominates this market during its peak season, but faces strong competition from Chile, Turkey, and Italy in the fall. South Africa starts its deliveries to Saudi Arabia in early winter, and India joins the market in January.
Egypt has also been one of the fastest-growing suppliers of table grapes to Saudi Arabia. In 2018, it accounted for only 11% of the country’s total imports, but by 2022, it reached 36%. In January-October 2023, Egypt’s share was 45%, but it is expected to drop by the end of the year, as the Egyptian export season is almost over.
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