Arab Food, Beverage Sector Attracts $22 Billion In Foreign Investment Over Two Decades

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Amman, Dec. 28 (Petra) – The Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman) said the food and beverage sector in the Arab region attracted 516 foreign direct investment projects with a total value of nearly $22 billion between 2003 and 2024, generating approximately 93,000 jobs.
In its third sectoral report for 2025 on the food and beverage sector in Arab countries, issued Sunday, Dhaman said five countries, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Qatar, accounted for 421 projects, or 82 percent of the total, with investments exceeding $17 billion, representing 79 percent of total capital inflows, and creating about 71,000 jobs.
The report, which covers sales projections through 2029, Arab foreign trade in 2024, foreign investment projects during 2003–2024, and an assessment of investment and business risks in 2024, noted that the United States ranked as the leading foreign investor in the sector over the past 22 years. US companies implemented 74 projects, representing 14 percent of the total, with investments nearing $4 billion, accounting for 18 percent of overall investment value, and generating around 14,000 jobs.
According to the report, the top ten foreign companies investing in the sector accounted for about 15 percent of total foreign projects, 32 percent of investment value, and 29 percent of newly created jobs.
On intra-Arab investment, Dhaman said 12 Arab countries participated in 108 joint projects, representing about 21 percent of all foreign projects in the sector over the same period. These projects were implemented by 65 companies with investments exceeding $6.5 billion, or roughly 30 percent of total foreign investment in the sector, and created approximately 28,000 jobs. The United Arab Emirates led intra-Arab investment, accounting for 45 percent of joint projects and 58 percent of their total investment value.
Regarding foreign trade, the report said Arab trade in food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by more than 10 percent in 2024 to about $195 billion. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, and Morocco accounted for 70 percent of the total. The increase was driven by an 18 percent rise in exports to approximately $56 billion and a 14 percent increase in imports to around $139 billion during the year.
Established in 1974 and headquartered in Kuwait City, Dhaman is a joint Arab institution owned by Arab countries and four Arab financial institutions and is considered the world's first multilateral organization specializing in investment insurance.

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