SaudiFood Excellence Award winners were revealed, recognising businesses’ innovative products and services

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – 14 May 2025: The Saudi Food Show 2025 opened its doors for its second day as the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Centre once again transformed into a vibrant hub of business and trade. Thousands of visitors explored, tested, and experienced hundreds of thousands of cutting-edge products and innovations in a dynamic showcase designed to elevate the nation’s billion-dollar market.

Among those to gather were top business leaders and buyers from around the world as they joined professionals and experts in the capital to embrace new opportunities and fuel the country’s food sector.

At a time where the Kingdom’s F&B market is projected to reach USD $24.29 billion by the end of this year, Fawaz Shakaa, CEO of Farm Dairy Company and Board Member of the Jordan Chamber Industry said he is seeing the benefits of being present for the first time.

He commented: “Consumption patterns in the country are clearly evolving, as more consumers show a growing preference for international products. At the same time, the Kingdom is growing rapidly and is attracting different tourists from around the world, making it a key market. As such, Saudi Food Show allows us to network and do business with one another, benefitting both Saudi and Jordan.”

Bandar Okrin, CEO of Saudi-born Kinza, said consumers are at the forefront of its strategy. He stated: “We focus more on the consumer’s preferences as we believe they are key to success in the future. Today, we are placing more emphasis on utilising Saudi ingredients in our products which is a top priority while empowering local talent to grow our brand and contribute to the Vision 2030 strategy.”

The event has attracted thousands of leading global companies and national pavilions. Among them is Mexico’s iAURA with its representatives engaging with over 100 potential buyers, generating significant interest in its portfolio of products.

iAURA’s CEO, Guadalupe Miranda confirmed they will return next year after being impressed with the scale of the event.

He said: “We’ve already decided that we’ll return every year as we’ve seen strong interest from businesses in our chickpeas, which are exclusively produced in Mexico. This is no surprise as it is widely used for hummus – one of the most popular dishes in this region.”

At the Saudi Food Summit, the audience gained a fascinating insight on the trends and growth opportunities in the retail sector from expert speakers in the public and private sectors.

Justin Emmanuel Steinbach, CEO of IFFCO Professional, Manuel Garabato, Marketing Director of Global Emerging Markets, General Mills, Bobby Rajendran, CEO of Tamimi Markets, and Jens Sievert, Director- International Design and Branding – Daymon, spoke about why organisations need to embrace AI in their day-to-day operations, saying it can speed up experimentation, simulation, and decision-making. The panel also highlighted that there is an increasing preference for personalisation, emotional connection and purpose from consumers in the retail sector.

The interactive and popular Top Table Saudi continued with both Saudi and international chefs delivering engaging masterclasses. They shared fresh ideas and showcased signature dishes while providing a glimpse into the future of gastronomy.

Top Chef Middle East participant and esteemed Saudi cuisine ambassador, Areej AlShareef, was among the highly influential culinary experts present, captivating the crowds with her expertise and showcasing the rich, authentic flavours of the Kingdom

She stated: “Cooking is my passion, I don’t really focus too much on recipes and I try to give the real flavour but with a different kick. There are so many fresh ingredients in Saudi Arabia which I use and people will now know, which they can put in their dishes.”

Another chef in attendance was Azzam Al Sowayan, Sous Chef at Fairmont Riyadh. He shared key tips on combining Saudi cuisine with international dishes, as well as advice on pursuing a career in cooking.

He explained: “Saudi cuisine has incredibly rich and abundant ingredients. Blending global cuisine with Saudi flavours may seem easy to attempt but can be challenging to perfect. My advice for anyone wanting to become a chef is patience and endurance are key to overcome the challenges that go side by side to becoming a successful chef.”

The winners of the Saudi Food Excellence Awards were also announced. Aimed at recognising innovative food and beverage products within the F&B sector, the awards were organised in 10 categories:

Euroaliment Proeedor Alimantos Calidad took the Best Gourmet Product prize for their Pons Janiroc Lecciana Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Neon Sanayi Ve Gida won Best Coffee Innovation for their Turkish Coffee Mocha with Orange Essence. Best Innovative Packaging went to Le Bonheur for their Set of 3 pralines with a musical barrel organ.

Coppola Foods won Best Food Innovation for their Fabalous Organic Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread. Best Saudi Made went to Gandour’s Tamria cakes, carefully crafted using premium dates sourced exclusively from Saudi farmers.

A Spice Affair/Nutrivlla Foods Inc was named winner of Best Health Product for their Golden Booster Latte & Smoothie Mix, while Parmafood Group won Best Plant-Based Product for their Cashew ‘Tina’ plant-based Ricotta Cheese alternative.

Best Dairy Product went to Gündoğdu for their Poucheese Bohça Peyniri. Best Beverage Product was awarded to Habso Drinks for their Black Seed Sparkling Infusion; and Best Snack Product went to Nestle for their Fitness Fiber no added sugars cereal bar.