Matrade's F&B Promotion In Saudi Arabia Draws Huge Crowd

By Mohd Nasir Yusoff JEDDAH, April 3 (Bernama) -- A huge crowd from among local Saudis, Malaysians and Asian expatriates, turned up in full support of the first ever Malaysia Food & Beverages promotion at the famous SARAWAT Superstore here from March 28-30. The crowd living mainly in Jeddah queued at the in-store food stalls offering delights of Malaysian-made goods, featuring 11 new products ranging from biscuits, frozen food, sauces, soft drinks, snacks to chocolates and ready-to-eat meals. The event was a collaboration by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), with the support of SARAWAT, one of the oldest supermarket chains operating in Saudi Arabia and Kedai Asia Jeddah. “Its objective is to expand opportunities for Malaysian entrepreneurs to market their products in Saudi Arabia through mainstream channels such as hypermarkets and supermarkets, as well as raise awareness of the existence of Malaysian-made products in SARAWAT. “The event promotes Malaysian brands in Saudi Arabia and creates more awareness among local citizens of Malaysian products,” said Yusram Yusup, MATRADE Trade Commissioner in the Consulate General of Malaysia in Jeddah. “This is made possible with our good collaboration with SARAWAT and in line with the government’s efforts to push exports.We trust our products have the potential and are able to compete with other leading brands in the Saudi market. “However, products, especially those produced by SMEs need to present sustainable quality goods,” he told Bernama over the phone Wednesday. Yusram said, buoyed by the overwhelming response, MATRADE planned to arrange similar programmes with other mainstream stores. Meanwhile, the CEO of Kedai Malaysia Jeddah Ahmad Imran said: “Over the three days we were glad to see that some products produced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) had managed to enter the Saudi market, including F&B products. “We, Malaysians, are very attached to our food, and it is not easy to find it elsewhere. So, this is a very good initiative.” Ahmad Imran has been in Jeddah for the last seven years. -- BERNAMA