Over the past two years, plant-based food consumption has grown by 49% across the EU, reaching a total sales volume of €3.6 billion.
Overview of the Halal Market in Saudi Arabia
2025-05-15
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a population of 34.2 million. In addition to chairing the SMIIC International Board of Directors, the Kingdom participates in the technical committees on Halal Food (TC1), Halal Cosmetics (TC2), Service Premises Issues (TC3), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (TC4), Tourism and Related Services (TC5), Transport (TC7), Leather and Tanning Materials (TC8), Textiles and Related Products (TC9), Halal Supply Chain (TC10), Halal Management Systems (TC11), Transport of Dangerous Goods (TC12), Jewellery (TC13), Petroleum and Related Products (TC14), Halal Pharmaceutical Issues (TC16), and the SMIIC/CCA Technical Committee on Halal Conformity Assessment.
While oil and petroleum products make up the majority of Saudi Arabia's exports, the main import categories are food, beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Imported food and animal products are currently required to obtain halal certification. Furthermore, facilities in exporting countries are registered with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). [1] Brazil, Australia, Pakistan, and India are the main exporters of beef to the Kingdom, while Australia and New Zealand are the main exporters of sheep meat. In terms of imports of dairy products, honey, and eggs, New Zealand, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, and the Netherlands are the leading countries, with Turkey accounting for 4.5% and $86.5 million. In the pharmaceutical sector, Germany, the United States, and France top the list of export destinations for the UK.
HALAL certification activities
The Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO) is the country's authorized authority for all matters related to standardization, metrology, and quality. SASO performs institutional and administrative tasks, including issuing Saudi standards and establishing procedures for the conformity assessment and certification of goods, products, and services. SASO also hosts the Saudi Accreditation Committee (SAC), which is responsible for the accreditation of laboratories and certification bodies. Under recent regulations, the SAC has also been authorized to recognize and accept halal certification bodies.
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) oversees food, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cosmetics in the country. Importing meat and poultry into the country also requires a halal slaughter certificate. The State Food and Drug Administration, the national food import supervisory authority, lists authorized exporters in each country on its official website.
The Saudi Halal Center, operating under the SFDA, issues and recognizes Halal certificates and provides information on the certification status of Halal certificates. Recent regulations have envisioned an independent structure for this certification body, with the SFDA responsible for conducting the necessary research to achieve this requirement. Information on companies that have obtained Halal certificates from the Saudi Halal Center is available online.