The processed meat market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is projected to reach 17 million tons and $62 billion by 2035, driven by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.0% in volume and 2.4% in value from 2024 to 2035.
Key Market Highlights:
Consumption Trends: In 2024, MENA’s processed meat consumption was approximately 14 million tons, with Iran (3.6M tons), Saudi Arabia (2.5M tons), and Egypt (2.2M tons) accounting for 60% of total consumption.
Market Value: The market value stood at $47.9 billion in 2024, reflecting steady growth with an average annual rate of 3.3% since 2013.
Product Segmentation: Prepared or preserved meat dominated consumption at 67% (9.2M tons), followed by sausages and similar products (2.1M tons) and salted, dried, or smoked meat and offal (1.7M tons).
Production Insights: Processed meat production matched consumption at 14 million tons in 2024. Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt were the top producers, collectively contributing 60% of the total output.
Import Dynamics: After two years of decline, processed meat imports increased by 21% to 268,000 tons in 2024. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iraq were the leading importers, together representing over half of total imports.
Export Performance: Processed meat exports surged to 268,000 tons in 2024, with Turkey and the UAE accounting for 78% of total exports.
The market’s growth is fueled by increasing demand for convenient protein sources, urbanization, and evolving dietary preferences. Continued investment in production capabilities and supply chain optimization is expected to support this upward trend.
Source: IndexBox
