The 30th Jeddah Int’l Agro-food and Print Packing Exhibition

Exhibition time: December 8-10, 2026

Venue: Jeddah International Exhibition Center, Saudi Arabia

Host: Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/KAC International Exhibition Group/Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry 

Scope of exhibits:

1. Food additives, seasonings, canned food, food processing technology, non-alcoholic beverages, marine food, baked goods, sugary and candy processing technology, frozen food, refrigerated food, dairy products, coffee and tea, meat products, poultry food, halal food, health food, specialty and fine food, fast food and snacks, convenience food, etc;

2. Public catering products, kitchen equipment, refrigeration facilities, hotel equipment, hotel supplied products and services, catering services and products, tableware and accessories, hotel furniture, store decorations, store display stands, etc;

3. Food processing machinery and accessories, food packaging machinery, food packaging, decoders and measuring equipment, etc;

4. Food packaging machinery and accessories, vacuum packaging machines, box pasting machines, bag making machines, filling, filling, sealing, sealing, cutting machines, testing instruments, meat processing technology, packaging materials, plastic machines, preservation and anti-corrosion agents, quality inspection equipment, weighing equipment, smoking&coating equipment, pattern, text, barcode printing equipment, packaging machines, sterilization and disinfection equipment, etc;

5. Agricultural and related machinery, equipment, technology, etc;

6. FFS packaging machine, filling and bottling machine, coding and labeling, labeling machine, conveyor belt, secondary packaging machine, line end packaging machine, logistics and materials, packaging raw materials, flexible packaging processing machine, paper processing machine, box pasting machine, hard box manufacturing machine, corrugated box manufacturing machine, etc.

Project Introduction:

This exhibition has been successfully held for 29 sessions in Saudi Arabia, providing an excellent platform for food foreign trade enterprises as well as advanced technology and equipment manufacturers. The exhibition attracted 486 enterprises from 16 countries and regions worldwide to participate, covering an exhibition area of 20,000 square meters. Exhibitors came from China, Bangladesh, Oman, Qatar, Uzbekistan, the Netherlands, Tunisia, Indonesia, Japan, Iraq, Kuwait, Thailand, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, and the host country Saudi Arabia, jointly building a diverse, open, and active global industry exchange and trade platform. The Chinese delegation performed particularly prominently, with 83 enterprises showcasing their products across the entire industry chain including food ingredients, food processing, intelligent packaging, and high-end printing equipment. They became a highly anticipated focal point at the exhibition, vividly demonstrating the strength and growth potential of "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" taking root in the Saudi market.

Introduction to Saudi Arabia:

Saudi Arabia is located in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula in Asia, occupying 70% of the entire Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the Persian Gulf to the east and the Red Sea to the west, sharing borders with Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, and Egypt. In 2025, Saudi Arabia's GDP reached 1.27 trillion US dollars, with a per capita GDP of 35,231 US dollars and a real GDP growth rate of 4.5%. The Saudi currency is the Saudi Riyal, which maintains a fixed exchange rate of 1:3.75 against the US dollar, offering significant trade advantages. Saudi Arabia's total population is approximately 34.56 million, and as of July 2025, foreign residents accounted for 44.4% of the total population. The demographic structure is young, with the population aged 15-64 comprising 74.7% and those under 14 accounting for 22.5%, demonstrating strong consumer desire and purchasing power. The consumption spectrum is broad, encompassing wealthy nobility, affluent middle-class citizens, ordinary people, and foreign laborers accounting for nearly 45% of the total population, forming high, middle, and low consumer groups.

The Saudi economy is primarily an energy economy based on resource extraction, with its oil reserves and production ranking among the world's highest. Oil serves as the main pillar of Saudi Arabia's economy, with crude oil and natural gas activities accounting for 17.1% of GDP. Its manufacturing sector is relatively underdeveloped, and apart from oil and its byproducts, a large quantity of materials rely on imports. China is Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner, largest export destination, and largest source of imports. From January to September 2025, China accounted for 25%-28% of Saudi Arabia's import share, demonstrating the strong economic complementarity between the two countries.

Market opportunities:

Saudi Vision 2030 Reform Plan

In recent years, with the rise of Saudi Arabia's third-generation leader, Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom has embarked on ambitious reforms aimed at creating a sustainable new economy that can move beyond oil dependence. Saudi Arabia aspires to become the heart of the Arab and Islamic world, a global investment powerhouse, and a global hub connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa in future development, announcing the "Vision 2030" plan. This visionary plan encompasses goals across multiple sectors, including infrastructure, energy, economy, society, and culture. Through massive investments, Saudi Arabia is transforming the global business landscape and attracting worldwide attention.

The Saudi Arabia food and beverage market reached 36.35 billion US dollars in 2025 and is expected to reach 50.38 billion US dollars by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.59% during the forecast period (2026-2031), demonstrating tremendous business opportunities, particularly promising prospects for Chinese food enterprises. With the advancement of economic diversification policies, Saudi Arabia is committed to reducing its dependence on oil, with the food and consumer goods sector gradually becoming an investment priority. Currently, non-oil activities account for 55.6% of Saudi Arabia's GDP, a significant increase from a decade ago.

Saudi Arabia covers an area of approximately 2.25 million square kilometers, with arable land accounting for only 1.67%, and faces extreme water scarcity, resulting in severe food shortages. Additionally, with population growth and improving living standards, consumer demand for high-quality and healthy food is increasing. In promoting the "Vision 2030" plan, the Saudi government has clearly set goals to improve food security and quality, providing favorable opportunities for Chinese food enterprises to enter the market. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's young demographic structure brings vitality to the food market. According to statistics, the median age of Saudi Arabia's population is 29.6 years, and they tend to prefer trying fresh and diverse flavored foods. Chinese food enterprises can leverage their rich product lines to attract the attention of these young consumers.

With the increasingly close trade relations between Saudi Arabia and China, the two countries have strengthened economic cooperation under the "Belt and Road" initiative, providing a favorable policy environment and convenient market access. In 2024, China-Saudi trade volume reached 107.5 billion US dollars, an increase of more than 210 times since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Chinese enterprises can leverage these policy advantages to increase investment and presence in the Saudi market. The Saudi food market offers broad business opportunities for Chinese food enterprises. Driven by policy support, market demand, and young consumer groups, seizing this opportunity will open a new chapter in China-Saudi economic and trade cooperation.

As Saudi Arabia's second-largest city and a port city on the Red Sea coast, Jeddah hosts the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various foreign embassies. It possesses Saudi Arabia's largest port—Jeddah Islamic Port—and serves as an extremely important financial center. Additionally, because Jeddah is only 70 kilometers from Mecca, the holy city and tourist destination for 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, it is also Saudi Arabia's most important tourism city. As Saudi Arabia's economic and trade center, with the advancement of the country's reform and opening-up, Jeddah's trade prospects continue to expand.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries:

In recent years, the development of China Saudi Arabia relations has shown three hotspots: high-level exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, and cultural exchanges. With the steady progress of the "the Belt and Road" initiative, Saudi Arabia actively responds to China's call. China and Saudi Arabia are each other's strategic partners at the national level, and their diplomatic relations are stable. In March 2023, with the assistance of China, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached an agreement to restore diplomatic relations. On March 29 of the same year, the Saudi Arabian Cabinet approved the decision to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In November 2023, the People's Bank of China and the Central Bank of Saudi Arabia signed a bilateral currency swap agreement, indicating that China Saudi trade has entered a new stage and is another milestone in China Saudi trade. Under the guidance of national strategy, China and Saudi Arabia have engaged in comprehensive cooperation in military, economic, cultural, scientific, and sociological fields, reflecting the close and stable strategic partnership between the two countries and laying a solid foundation for future cooperation.
In October 2024, the Saudi government announced the construction of a four square kilometer Saudi Central Special Economic Zone within King Salman International Airport. The economic zone will be jointly constructed by King Salman International Airport and international investment institution Yida Capital, with a focus on developing manufacturing, logistics, and trade industries to promote economic and trade cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia. The economic zone is expected to start construction in 2025. In 2025, China Saudi Arabia relations will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. In December, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited Saudi Arabia and signed the "Agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Mutual Exemption of Visa for Personnel Holding Diplomatic, Official and Special Passports". The trade cooperation between the two countries continues to deepen, and the bilateral trade volume has exceeded 89.5 billion US dollars from January to October 2025, with China firmly ranking as Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner. In May of the same year, more than 70 agricultural cooperation agreements were signed between Chinese and Saudi Arabian enterprises and institutions, with a total amount exceeding 4 billion US dollars, covering areas such as green technology application, intelligent equipment output, biological breeding research and development, and cross-border supply chain.