JEDDAH, 28 November 2003 — Jeddah residents alone consume chocolates and sweets worth more than SR10 million during Eid Al-Fitr holidays, Saudi confectioneries executives have said.
Salwa Ridwan, owner of Rukn Al-Shocolata (Chocolate Corner), which specializes in chocolates and hand-made confectioneries, said Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha are the two most important seasons for chocolate shops.
“During these two Eids chocolate sales go up by 300 percent,” Al-Eqtisadiah business daily, a sister publication of Arab News, quoted Ridwan as saying.
She said tough competition in the market had forced producers to manufacture a variety of novel products to win customers.
But Ridwan said producers were finding it difficult to offer quality products at reasonable prices.
A visit to Jeddah’s chocolate shops reveals the extraordinary variety of chocolates available, and the huge strides made by the industry compared to 10 years ago.
According to a report published by the American Foreign Trade Office, a Saudi eats two kilograms of chocolates annually compared to a per capita consumption of 5.5 kg in Europe and the United States.
The Saudi confectioneries market is estimated at more than SR600 million annually. Chocolates account for 60 to 70 percent of the market.
Britain, where individuals consume a record eight kilograms of chocolates annually, is the main exporter of chocolates to the Kingdom. It meets more than a quarter of the Saudi market demand, followed by Malaysia with 15 percent and Turkey with 14 percent.
