Saudifood Show 2026 Recap: The Show Moves to Jeddah and Adds a Manufacturing Fair

September 27-29, 2026 | Jeddah Superdome, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 1,000+ exhibitors from 95+ countries and 35+ national pavilions (organizer claims, no final figures yet) | Co-located with Saudifood Manufacturing 2026 | Opened in the presence of Saudi Arabia's Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Industrial Affairs | Strategic partner: MODON | First Jeddah edition, after three editions in Riyadh

The Saudi Food Show, styled this year as The Saudifood Show, closed on Tuesday after its first edition outside Riyadh. The show's first three editions, from 2023 to 2025, all ran in the capital in late spring. The 2026 edition moved to Jeddah, the Red Sea port city, and to the end of September, and it brought a second fair with it: Saudifood Manufacturing, covering ingredients, processing, packaging and automation, in the same venue on the same dates.

The organizer's opening-day release said more than 1,000 exhibitors from over 95 countries had "convened in Jeddah," with more than 35 national pavilions and more than 100,000 products on show. Those are the same round numbers the show was advertising before it opened, and no closing release with final visitor or exhibitor counts had been published when this recap was written. They describe the scale that was planned rather than a measured result.

What the move itself says is clearer. The show opened in the presence of a vice minister of industry, with the national industrial cities authority, MODON, as strategic partner. It was put in the city that, according to the organizers, handles about 75% of the Kingdom's maritime trade. And it co-located food sourcing and food manufacturing equipment at one venue on the same dates, with the two shows billed as uniting "for the first time in Jeddah."

From Riyadh in May to Jeddah in September

The Saudi Food Show launched in Riyadh in 2023. Its third edition ran May 12-14, 2025, at Riyadh Front, and was advertised at more than 1,300 exhibitors across six halls. Madhyamam reported that contracts worth more than SAR 600 million were signed on the 2025 opening day.

For 2026, the show's website calls Jeddah Saudi Arabia's "commercial capital and busiest port city, sitting on the Red Sea trade artery." The opening release said the choice "reinforces the city's position as a critical gateway for regional food trade," connecting Saudi Arabia with markets across the Middle East and Africa.

The move changes more than the address:

• The season changed. In May, the show came about three and a half months after Gulfood in Dubai, whose 2026 edition ran in late January. A late-September slot now puts it five weeks before Gulfood Manufacturing, which runs November 3-5, 2026, in Dubai.
• Jeddah now has two food shows two months apart. Foodex Saudi, a separate show run by a different organizer, Sunaidi Expo, holds its 14th edition at the Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Center on November 23-25, 2026. The two share a city and a sector but are unrelated events.
• Comparisons with earlier years don't hold. A different city, a different season, a co-located manufacturing fair and no published final figures for 2025 or 2026 leave no like-for-like basis for saying the show grew or shrank.

It is also not certain the move is permanent. The German pavilion organizer lists The Saudi Food Show 2027 for June 2027 in Riyadh. The show's own website had not published 2027 dates or a venue at the time of writing.

Officials, Sponsors and a Localization Message

The show opened in the presence of Eng. Khalil bin Salamah, Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Industrial Affairs, and Eng. Majed Alargoubi, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON). MODON was the strategic partner for both shows. The opening release did not include a quote from the Vice Minister.

The organizer's framing throughout was manufacturing and localization rather than import sourcing alone. The release set the show against a target of USD 20 billion of investment in Saudi Arabia's food industry by 2035. The sponsors followed the same line. Eng. Abdullah Ababtain, CEO of gold sponsor First Mills, said the country's food sector "is at a pivotal stage of development, driven by rising demand, growing local capabilities, and the ambitious Vision 2030." First Mills runs four mills, in Jeddah, Qassim, Tabuk and Al-Ahsa.

Fayçal Benameur, CEO of the other gold sponsor, Durrah Advanced Development Co, said the company's sugar refinery in Yanbu has a daily capacity of 2,500 tons and exports "to four continents," both company figures, and said the company was proud "to serve as an ambassador of Saudi Made products."

The silver sponsors were Arabian Mills and Snackland for the Saudifood Show, and ITEC for Saudifood Manufacturing.

On the Floor

The pavilions. The organizers named Türkiye, India, Jordan, the United States, Uzbekistan, Tunisia and Italy among more than 35 national pavilions. A pre-show release carried by ESG Mena listed first-time pavilions from Uzbekistan, Slovakia, Sri Lanka's tea sector, Pakistan through TDAP, Brazilian beef through ABIEC and Japan through JETRO, and Hong Kong as a new exhibiting market. Mark Napier, vice president of exhibitions at events organizer inD Group, told Arab News that more than one-third of those attending were from overseas. No breakdown behind that figure was published.

The exhibitors. The organizer's opening-day release named Almarai, Arla, Lactalis, BRF, Tanmiah, NADEC, Savola, First Mills, Americana and Seara Food Middle East as major exhibitors at the Saudifood Show. TradeShowBuzz did not independently confirm each company's stand. Napier said "the large and ever-growing presence of Saudi food companies reflects the investment companies have made in high-quality, innovative products."

Business reported by exhibitors. The most specific deals found came from companies speaking to Arab News on the second day, not from an organizer tally. None were independently verified:

• Durrah said it had signed several annual contracts during the event with clients in Jordan, Palestine and East Africa, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. Benameur said the company holds more than 50% of the Saudi sugar market across industrial, wholesale and retail segments. Both are the company's own figures.
• Marhaba Frozen Foods, an Indian halal frozen meat supplier that says it ships 40 to 50 containers a month to the Kingdom, said it had entered a joint venture worth nearly USD 10 million with a Saudi importer and planned to set up its own company in Saudi Arabia.
• Snack Land MENA, exhibiting for the third time, said it was pushing into Saudi energy drinks and carbonated soft drinks. Its KSA operations director, Hany Haggag, was frank about the market: "We have a very big competition in the Saudi market."

Smaller exhibitors described the show in sourcing terms. Nageeb Al-Aghbari, CEO of Saudi distributor OKAM, which works in rice and tuna, said visitors were "looking for other companies to be collaborating with in Saudi Arabia." Seda Khunkaeva, founder of the Dubai bean-to-bar chocolate maker Nature's Own Factory, said the company had already met potential buyers.

The organizers had advertised more than 12,000 business meetings through the TawaSul Meetings Program, which schedules one-to-one meetings at stands and in a dedicated meeting area. No total of meetings held, or of deal value, had been published at the time of writing.

The Manufacturing Side

The opening-day release named Bunge, JBT Marel, Middleby, MULTIVAC, NAPCO, Zamil, ULMA and Provisur among the Saudifood Manufacturing exhibitors. It gave two product examples. ULMA Packaging, it said, was demonstrating digital connectivity and sustainable packaging aimed at productivity and waste reduction, without naming a specific system. Fortifi's brands Provisur, LIMA and Nothum presented processing technologies that the company says deliver 30-40% higher output in the same footprint and cut frying-oil consumption by up to 33%. Those are manufacturer claims.

The Saudifood Manufacturing site claims 1,900+ food factories in the Kingdom and food exports rising from SAR 13 billion to SAR 22 billion between 2021 and 2025. Those figures come from the organizer and were not independently checked for this recap.

Two award programs ran across 14 categories. The Saudifood Excellence Awards covered eight consumer-product categories, including Best Sauce, Condiment or Preserve and Best Ready-to-Eat Product. The Saudifood Manufacturing Innovation Awards covered six, including Best AI & Smart Manufacturing Innovation and a Made in Saudi innovation category. Winners were due to be announced on the second day. They had not been published online at the time of writing.

The Market Behind the Show

The US Department of Agriculture's latest Saudi Arabia reports put the scale of the opportunity in numbers:

• Imports: Saudi Arabia imports about 80% of its food requirements, and its food and agricultural imports exceeded USD 33 billion in 2025, according to USDA's July 2026 Exporter Guide. Consumer-oriented products accounted for about USD 17.4 billion, up 6% on 2024.
• Biggest categories: among selected products, USDA lists dairy imports at USD 2.80 billion in 2025, poultry at USD 1.20 billion, fresh fruit at USD 1.17 billion and beef at about USD 1.05 billion. The EU and New Zealand lead dairy; Brazil leads poultry.
• Retail: USDA's August 2026 Retail Foods Annual puts food retail sales at about USD 57 billion in 2025, with around 4% growth expected in 2026, and says five chains (LuLu, Tamimi, Panda, Danube and Othaim) hold more than 80% of retail revenue. The organizer's release gives a higher USD 59 billion.
• Tariffs: most food and agricultural imports face a 5% customs duty, but USDA notes higher rates on selected products to protect local production, up to 40% for some items such as dates and some processed foods.
• A caveat: the same USDA report warns that the first-half 2026 pace of import growth "may not be sustainable" given the regional political and military situation, with shipping and insurance costs rising.
• Packaging: the release projects the Kingdom's food packaging market at USD 2.63 billion by 2034, growing at 4.08% a year.

The organizers presented the co-located manufacturing fair and MODON's partnership as part of the Kingdom's push to strengthen local production and supply chains. The tariff structure points the same way: products that compete with local output can face much higher duties than the standard 5%.

What It Means for Exhibitors

Pick the Saudi show by goal, not by name. The Saudifood Show is now a combined sourcing and manufacturing event with MODON as strategic partner. Foodex Saudi is a separate, longer-running show in Jeddah in November. Gulfood and Gulfood Manufacturing are held in Dubai rather than inside the Saudi market. On the evidence published so far, the Saudifood format is aimed at two groups: suppliers of finished food products looking for Saudi importers, distributors and retailers, which is where the exhibitor deals reported in Arab News sat, and processing and packaging suppliers selling to Saudi producers.

Budget on evidence you can get, not on the headline numbers. Until the organizer publishes a post-show report, the 1,000+ exhibitors, 95+ countries and 12,000 meetings are promotional claims, not results. Before committing to 2027, ask the sales team for the final 2026 visitor count and how it was measured, the split between Saudi and overseas visitors, a breakdown by buyer role (importer, distributor, retailer, foodservice, manufacturer), and the number of TawaSul meetings actually held in your category.

Confirm the 2027 city and month before booking. One pavilion organizer lists June 2027 in Riyadh. If that is right, the show goes back to its old slot, and a September Jeddah plan built around 2026 would not carry over. Exhibitor enquiries go through sales@thesaudifoodshow.com.

For equipment suppliers, the co-location is the main change. Processing, packaging and automation companies now exhibit at the same venue and on the same dates as the food producers they sell to. USDA's figures put dairy, poultry and beef among the largest import categories, so ask which producers in those lines were in the TawaSul buyer pool.

By the Numbers

• 1,000+ exhibitors from 95+ countries across both shows, per the organizer's opening-day release (the same figures it advertised before the show)
• 35+ national pavilions (organizer), including Türkiye, India, Jordan, the United States, Uzbekistan, Tunisia and Italy
• 100,000+ products showcased (organizer claim)
• 12,000+ business meetings expected through the TawaSul program (organizer); no final count published
• More than one-third of attendees from overseas, according to Mark Napier of inD Group, speaking to Arab News
• 14 award categories across two programs, 8 consumer-product and 6 manufacturing (organizer release)
• About 75% of Saudi maritime trade passes through Jeddah, according to the organizers
• USD 33 billion+ of Saudi food and agricultural imports in 2025, with about 80% of food requirements imported (USDA)
• USD 57 billion Saudi food retail market in 2025 (USDA); the organizer's release says USD 59 billion
• USD 20 billion food industry investment target by 2035 (organizer release)
• 3 previous editions, all in Riyadh (organizer and press reports); 2026 was the first in Jeddah

When Is the Next Saudi Food Show?

The organizer had not announced 2027 dates at the time of writing. The German pavilion program lists The Saudi Food Show 2027 in June 2027 in Riyadh, which would mean a return to the capital and to the show's earlier spring slot. Treat that as unconfirmed until the show's website publishes it.

In the meantime, Gulfood Manufacturing runs November 3-5, 2026, in Dubai, and Foodex Saudi runs November 23-25, 2026, in Jeddah. See the Saudi Food Show page for venue details and trade shows in Saudi Arabia for the rest of the Kingdom's calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where was the Saudi Food Show 2026? The Saudifood Show 2026 ran September 27-29, 2026, at the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was open to trade visitors from 1 pm to 8 pm on September 27 and 28, and from 1 pm to 7 pm on September 29.

How many exhibitors were at the Saudi Food Show 2026? The organizer said more than 1,000 exhibitors from over 95 countries took part across the Saudifood Show and Saudifood Manufacturing, with more than 35 national pavilions. These match the figures advertised before the show; no final post-show count had been published at the time of writing.

Why did the Saudi Food Show move to Jeddah? The organizers presented Jeddah as Saudi Arabia's main trade and logistics gateway, saying the city handles about 75% of the Kingdom's maritime trade and connects it with markets across the Middle East and Africa. The 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions were held in Riyadh.

Is the Saudi Food Show the same as Foodex Saudi? No. Foodex Saudi is a separate food trade show run by Sunaidi Expo at the Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Center. Its 2026 edition is scheduled for November 23-25.

What is Saudifood Manufacturing? It is a food manufacturing fair co-located with the Saudifood Show in 2026, covering ingredients, processing, packaging and automation. The organizer's opening-day release named Bunge, JBT Marel, Middleby, MULTIVAC, NAPCO, Zamil, ULMA and Provisur among its exhibitors.

Who opened the Saudi Food Show 2026? The show opened in the presence of Eng. Khalil bin Salamah, Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Industrial Affairs, and Eng. Majed Alargoubi, CEO of MODON, the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones, which was strategic partner for both shows.

When is the Saudi Food Show 2027? The organizer had not announced 2027 dates at the time of writing. A German pavilion listing points to June 2027 in Riyadh, which is unconfirmed.