The Saudifood Show 2026 and Saudifood Manufacturing 2026 opened at the Jeddah Superdome with broad local and international participation, bringing together food producers, technology providers, suppliers, buyers, and specialists from across the food and beverage industry. Held in strategic partnership with the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON), the exhibitions ran from September 27 to 29 and offered an integrated platform covering the sector’s various stages, from food products and ingredients to processing, packaging, and manufacturing technologies.
The exhibitions also featured live cooking demonstrations by chefs from Saudi Arabia and abroad, offering visitors practical insights into culinary techniques, ingredient selection, dish preparation, and the development of professional cooking skills.
Among the highlights was a joint cooking experience led by Saudi executive chef, food developer, and culinary consultant Bedoor Badr and Italian chef Simone Marchi. The demonstration brought together Saudi and Italian flavors, highlighting the similarities between the two culinary traditions and exploring how ingredients and techniques from both cuisines can be combined to create new dishes.
Marchi has led culinary programs for Italian diplomatic missions abroad and prepared dishes inspired by different regions of Italy as part of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World. The live demonstrations formed part of the program accompanying the exhibitions and showcased food as a means of cultural exchange and communication.
The activities aimed to deepen visitors’ understanding of traditional cuisines and dishes as important expressions of cultural identity. They also encouraged interaction between cultures by combining modern culinary techniques with traditional ingredients and methods, creating new experiences while preserving the distinctive character of each cuisine.
Italy’s Broad Participation
Italy’s participation in the two exhibitions was inaugurated by Marco Bocchi, Italy’s Consul General in Jeddah. It included 37 Italian companies, 17 of which presented food and agri-food products, while 20 showcased the latest technologies and solutions for food manufacturing, processing, packaging, and wrapping.
The participation was supported by the Italian Trade Agency in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy in Riyadh and the Italian Consulate General in Jeddah. It highlighted the growing opportunities for cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Italy in the food and beverage sector.
Speaking at the opening, Italian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Carlo Baldocci said the two countries’ relations were developing rapidly, supported by stronger economic ties and a shared interest in opening new areas of cooperation. He noted that the agri-food sector represented an important part of this relationship and that future opportunities extended beyond increasing trade to building sustainable, long-term partnerships.
Bocchi said the Italian participation gave visitors an opportunity to discover Italian products and the regions from which they originate, while highlighting the similarities between Italian and Saudi cultures in food and hospitality. He added that food helps build bridges between peoples and cultures, a role that is particularly significant in Jeddah, which has long served as a meeting point for trade and cultural exchange.
Growing Trade, Investment
Trade data show that Italy’s exports of agri-food products, food, and beverages to Saudi Arabia approached 2.2 billion riyals during the first 11 months of 2025. Food products accounted for more than 1.77 billion riyals, representing a 7.7% increase compared with the same period in 2024.
Total trade between Italy and Saudi Arabia reached approximately 45.3 billion riyals in 2025, while Italian exports to the Kingdom stood at around 27.8 billion riyals, reflecting the expanding scope of commercial cooperation between the two countries.
The Italian exhibitors represented a wide range of sectors, including grain milling and flour production, tomatoes and preserved foods, confectionery, seafood, cheese, mineral water, supply and distribution, and food-processing, packaging, and wrapping technologies.
Simona Autori, Italian Trade Commissioner and Director of the Italian Trade Agency offices in Riyadh and Kuwait, said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represents a priority market for Italy, and we see significant potential for growth and cooperation.” She added that the participation of 37 Italian companies reflected an integrated ecosystem covering the various stages of the food sector and enabling Italian companies to connect with Saudi buyers and partners.
Food as Cultural Bridge
The culinary program was held as part of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, an annual initiative organized by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. It also followed UNESCO’s inclusion of Italian cuisine on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2025.
By combining live cooking with an exhibition of products and industrial technologies, the two events presented food as both an economic sector and a cultural platform. Visitors were able to explore Italian and Saudi culinary traditions while industry professionals examined opportunities for partnerships, investment, manufacturing, and distribution.
The relocation of the Saudifood Show to Jeddah and its simultaneous staging with Saudifood Manufacturing strengthened the exhibitions’ role as a meeting point for international suppliers and buyers from Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Together, the two events connected food products and ingredients with the technologies required to process, manufacture, package, and distribute them, supporting further cooperation and investment across the food and beverage sector.
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