KSA rice consumption to grow 2%

SAUDI ARABIA’s rice per capita consumption is around 35 kg/year, according to GAIN (Global Agricultural Information Network). For MY2017/18, total rice consumption was at 1 million MT, and this is expected to grow 2% to 1.1 million in MY 2018/19 as more foreign visitors go to Makkah to perform the hajj and umrah rituals.

In the past five years, the total number of visitors who came to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj and umrah has increased by 50% to 12 million since 2017. The Saudi government expects the number to reach 15 million by the end of 2020 as massive expansion projects at the two holy mosques in Makkah and Medina, as well as other infrastructure projects, are completed. As such, rice consumption is forecast to increase significantly in the next few years.

Basmati is favoured by locals

Basmati varieties, aromatic rice from the Indian subcontinent, is most popular rice in the KSA, even edging out the also popular American long-parboiled and medium-grain Calrose rice varieties. While Indian basmati rice is mostly consumed in the eastern, central and western regions of Saudi Arabia, American rice is popular in the southern region of the Kingdom, and is also very popular in restaurants that prepare kabsah dishes. Read more.