Sources informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Mexico is planning to increase its trade relations with Saudi Arabia by exporting high-quality rice to the Kingdom. They indicated that Mexico has an export proposal of three varieties of rice that are of the highest international standards.
Saudi Arabia is a limited importer of Mexican rice, which is consumed primarily in Mexican dishes and for restaurant use.
The most recent effort indicates that the Kingdom is among the largest rice consumers in the world, with an average consumption of 45.77 kilograms per year, the highest among plant-based food products.
Basmati rice makes up approximately 70 percent of the consumption, with total imports topping 1.3 million tonnes annually.
The information received by Asharq Al-Awsat confirmed that the Mexican Embassy in Riyadh had sent a request to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressing that the Mexican state of Nayarit was interested in exporting high-quality rice to the Saudi market.
The embassy indicated that there are three types of rice that can be exported as follows: Super Extra Whole Grain Rice, long grain, with an availability of 120 tonnes monthly, Milagro Super Extra Rice, which is a polished broad grain, and Morelos rice, which is a premium-grade rice.
Saudi Arabia has already made several attempts to promote the importation of Cambodian rice to the private sector as a step to diversify sources of supply, in addition to imports from India, Pakistan, the US, and Egypt.
The global demand for preferred types of rice in Saudi Arabia or in the Gulf, coupled with incentives like the increase in shipping costs and the interference of weather, has sometimes resulted in price volatility. These forces have caused the Kingdom to diversify its supplier base in order to guarantee the supply of this commodity and price stability.
Recently, the government resolved to boost imports of Pakistani rice to 20 percent of total demand, to strengthen supply stability and food security.
The estimations suggested that per capita rice consumption in Saudi Arabia might surge to around 50 kg annually in the coming years, up from the current 45.77 kg, emphasizing rice’s central role in the Kingdom’s food industry and traditional cuisine.
