The Saudi Arabian market is currently well supplied with citrus fruit of various origins. According to Kashif Shahzad, head of procurement at Global Star, trends in terms of origins, quantities, and prices are normal this season.
Shahzad says, "The market is normal at the moment, following its historical trends. Egyptian navels arrived in early December with high prices, which then dropped within a week, as is the usual market trend for Egyptian navels. Valencia prices are quite stable because of availability from South Africa while Egypt has a low volume of Valencia at this stage of the season. In soft citrus, the market is quite good for Morroco and Spain, but it will not remain stable for them as the large Egyptian volumes arrive."
The rest of the season is also predictable for Saudi imports. Kashif says: "From discussions with Egyptian growers, the orange crop is quite good and we will continue to import navel oranges until March with sufficient quality and Valencia until August. Soon, the market will be full of Egyptian soft citrus as well."
The Middle East market is not stable for Egyptian exporters in terms of payment terms. Kashif comments, "This is the reality of our market, due to commission terms. Competition between Egyptian exporters means that the market is sometimes uncontrollable on volumes and prices."
Kashif continues, "At Global Star, we will import a total volume of 7.5 to 8 million fruit boxes in 2025, including 12-15% from Egypt. In citrus, will import 2.5 million boxes including 35-40% from Egypt. We are very hopeful that it will be achieved with the right suppliers and product mix. We also hope that supply conditions will be optimal. Last year, we didn't achieve the full potential of our import forecast because of the disruptions in the Red Sea."
For more information:
Kashif Shahzad
Global Star
Tel: +966 54 788 8332
Email: [email protected]