Norway woos Saudi salmon buyers
A large group of Norwegian seafood exporters have just returned from a fact finding tour of Saudi Arabia, a country which is developing into a key market.
They were there to learn more about the country and its potential for Norwegian seafood – with salmon high on the list.
Norwegian seafood exports to Saudi Arabia have increased significantly in recent years, but many businesses have little knowledge of the country.
Saudi Arabia is torn between a modern way of life and a strict, traditional Islamic culture, which can be challenging for Norwegians to navigate.
The Norwegian Seafood Council, which organised the visit said the opportunity to get to know the country, the culture and the market better together with the Seafood Council has made it feel safer and the threshold lower, for businesspeople to go there alone on a later occasion.
Saudi Arabia is a major importer of cars, technical equipment and gold. But the country also imports both sand and camels from Australia, and not least fish from Norway.
Between 2019 and 2023, the total export of Norwegian seafood to the Saudis increased by more than 53% – from 6,174 tonnes to 9,478 tonnes.
Most of this was salmon , which has a 99% market share, but Norway also exports other seafood species such as mackerel and cod.
Last year, the value of Norway’s total exports to Saudi Arabia was around NOK 814 million (£57m). Of this, salmon accounted for around NOK 755 million (£53m).
Exports in value and volume 2019-2023 and so far this year (up to and including September), divided into total seafood exports and salmon exports.
Ingelill Jacobsen, the Seafood Council’s Project Manager for the Middle East, said the potential for further growth was great.
The country, with 37 million inhabitants, is one of the world’s richest. Since the 1970s, Saudi Arabia has modernised and expanded the welfare state with oil money. It has also come under international criticism for its human rights regime and for the way women are treated.
In recent years, Jacobsen has visited the country many times, and said she sees changes from time to time.
“They are opening up more and more to western tourism, the construction industry is large and new hotels and restaurants are popping up like toadstools,” she said.
During the week, the group visited several fish markets, seafood businesses, manufacturers, importers and a number of hypermarkets in Riyadh, Damman and Jeddah. There was also time for customer meetings and a visit to the Norwegian Embassy.
