Saudi potato output reaches 623,770 tons as frozen exports surge

Saudi Arabia produced 623,770 tons of potatoes from 17,064 hectares, with the country now largely self-sufficient in fresh supply, according to USDA FAS Riyadh.

Production

Main varieties include Spunta, Cara, Diamond, Mondial, Tyson and Lady Olympia. Production is concentrated in central and northern Saudi Arabia, particularly Riyadh, Hail, Qassim, Tabuk and Al-Jouf. The country has two production seasons, with harvests in January-February and May-June.

Riyadh remained the largest producing region in 2024 with 309,686 tons, followed by Hail with 154,333 tons, Qassim with 80,157 tons and Tabuk with 54,395 tons. National production increased slightly from 621,751 tons in 2023.

Groundwater availability is a key production constraint, encouraging wider use of drip irrigation to reduce water consumption.

Fresh trade falls

Around 60% of domestic output goes to the fresh market. Fresh potato imports fell from 64,191 tons in 2024 to 11,751 tons in 2025. January-March 2026 imports declined another 57.6% year on year to 1,551 tons. Jordan supplied 920 tons and Egypt 505 tons during the period.

Fresh exports reached 9,753 tons in 2025 but dropped to only 58 tons in the first quarter of 2026. Saudi Arabia restricts fresh potato imports and exports during the domestic growing season, while export permits are also linked to water availability.

Processing expands

Frozen potato exports are moving sharply higher. Saudi Arabia shipped 10,916 tons in January-March 2026, up 485.6% year on year. The UAE took 8,692 tons, followed by Qatar with 1,363 tons, Kuwait with 425 tons and Oman with 298 tons.

At the same time, frozen imports fell 48.9% to 294 tons, mainly supplied by Egypt. FAS sees further import opportunities in specialty fresh potatoes, including red and baby potatoes, as well as seed potatoes and processing varieties.

source and photo: fas.usda.gov