JEDDAH — Thirty-seven Italian companies took part in the Saudifood exhibitions at the Jeddah Superdome, a presence that reflects the scale of agri-food trade between the two countries, with Italian exports to the Kingdom approaching SR2.2 billion ($587 million) during the first 11 months of 2025, according to figures cited by Arab News.
The delegation was split across two tracks: 17 firms displayed food and beverage products at The Saudifood Show, while the remaining 20 joined Saudifood Manufacturing 2026, where they showcased food-processing and packaging technologies. That dual footprint mirrors Saudi Arabia's push to grow its domestic food manufacturing base under Vision 2030, with Italy seeking to serve both as a source of finished products and as a supplier of industrial know-how.
Marco Bocchi, Italy's consul general in Jeddah, said the Kingdom's market offered a chance to deepen an already solid relationship. «Italy's participation in The Saudifood Show represents an important opportunity to strengthen the already close relationship between Italy and Saudi Arabia, while introducing Italian companies and their products to a wider audience in the Kingdom,» he told Arab News, adding that shared cultural ground between the two peoples had impressed him since taking up his post two months earlier.
Simona Autuori, Italian trade commissioner and director of the Italian Trade Agency's Riyadh office, pointed to rising demand and continued Saudi investment in hospitality and food industries as drivers of Italian interest. She noted that the market for industrial food and beverage processing machinery in the Kingdom reached about SR1.02 billion ($272 million) in 2024, up more than 50 percent year on year, and said her agency works with Italian firms on market entry, partner identification and long-term commercial ties.
Exhibitors spanned the food chain: milling companies Antimo Caputo and Molino Naldoni, tomato and preserved-food players including Casalasco Societa Agricola, Compagnia Mercantile D'Oltremare, La Doria, Novi and SICA, alongside ANICAV, which represents more than 100 Italian vegetable-preserving businesses. Confectionery producer Crispo, seafood specialist Rizzoli Emanuelli, parmigiano reggiano producer Societa Agricola Bertinelli Gianni e Nicola and mineral water company Mangiatorella also took part, while Alifood, Natali Alessandro & Co., MB Consulting and Seaside Foodlink covered sourcing and distribution, and Zilli & Bellini presented industrial filling and packaging systems.
Beyond the exhibition floor, the Italian delegation arranged a culinary exchange, with Italian chef Simone Marchi and Saudi chef and food developer Bedoor Badr leading a cooking demonstration inspired by national dishes from both countries.