international cooperation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is emerging as a major player in the global trade arena, with its economic status rising to new heights. In this renewed context, the African market is an important destination for Saudi non-oil exports, as economic opportunities are evident and promising trade ties are growing.
The strategic, commercial, and economic relations between the Kingdom and Africa are deep-rooted and strong. The Kingdom is the largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa and the fastest-growing Group of Twenty (G20) economy in 2022. The African continent has immense potential strategically, economically, and in human resources, as it is the second-largest continent in the world in terms of area and population, with an economy worth approximately $3 trillion. As a result, the Saudi government and the countries of the African Union seek to strengthen and develop these relations in a way that ensures progress and prosperity for all.
To this end, the Saudi Exports Development Authority (SAUDI EXPORTS) is taking a serious approach towards the African continent, responding to the needs of its diverse markets and future aspirations. The authority pays great attention to all aspects to consolidate economic cooperation, enhance Saudi non-oil exports, and deliver Saudi products and services to the promising African market.
Among the most prominent achievements is the export of more than SAR128 billion worth of non-oil Saudi goods to the African continent during the past five years (2019 - 2023). The chemicals and polymers sector topped the list of non-oil products with exports exceeding SAR83 billion, followed by the construction-materials sector with exports exceeding SAR10 billion, and then the packaging sector with exports of over SAR9 billion. The top exported products were polypropylene, polyethylene, and fertilizers, with Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Morocco, Sudan, Kenya, and Nigeria topping the list of 55 African countries importing Saudi products.
The SAUDI EXPORTS employs its efforts and harnesses all its capabilities to deliver national products and services and increase the volume of non-oil exports to African markets through organizing trade missions to African countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, and Libya, with the participation of a group of Saudi companies from various sectors with the aim of coordinating business matching meetings with potential buyers in those markets, besides participating in many specialized international exhibitions in the African continent in Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Senegal and Nigeria, to help Saudi exporters showcase their products and services and sign commercial deals that expand the scope of their exports.
Among the exhibitions the SAUDI EXPORTS intends to participate in this year is the African Food Exhibition 2024, the International Exhibition for Processing and Packaging in the Middle East and Africa 2024 in Egypt, the Buildexpo Africa - Kenya 2024, and Gitex Africa in Morocco. Registration for these exhibitions is available for interested companies through the authority’s electronic portal.
The SAUDI EXPORTS aims to enhance the readiness of exporters by providing them with essential information and studies. It also explores export opportunities through specialized studies and reports on countries and goods, facilitating the opening of new markets and finding suitable export opportunities in Africa. It is dedicated to developing capabilities by organizing workshops and various training courses. These virtual workshops include “Empowering Exports in Pakistan, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria” and “Empowering Exports in North African Countries: Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia,” which were conducted this year. SAUDI EXPORTS is committed to empowering exporters and addressing the challenges they encounter in their African market journey. It has collaborated with relevant authorities to tackle more than 270 challenges faced by exporters to Africa. These challenges include customs and non-customs restrictions, as well as financial and logistical obstacles.
In continuation of its efforts to strengthen Saudi-African relations, the SAUDI EXPORTS is working towards developing relations between the two sides in various fields. The Saudi-African Summit was held in Riyadh on November 10, 2023, following the call of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. The summit aimed to enhance the strategic relations between the two sides, appreciate the historical ties between them, and strengthen the bonds of cooperation in various fields.
The summit resulted in the launch of a roadmap for cooperation between the Kingdom and African countries, which outlined a strategic partnership, based on deep historical ties between them, and celebrated the trade exchange between the Kingdom and Africa, which has grown significantly over the past five years, especially in non-oil trade. The summit not only paid tribute to the past but also presented a future vision for cooperation between the two sides. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince announced an investment package, including allocating $25 billion to invest in various sectors on the African continent, financing and insuring exports worth $10 billion, in addition to providing $5 billion in development funding over the next six years. The summit witnessed the signing of over 50 agreements and MoUs valued at over $500 million.