There are new opportunities for the kiwi in the UAE and Saudi Arabia where Arab consumers are familiar with this fruit that is mainly imported from Italy, New Zealand and Chile.
As for Chile's fresh fruit exports to the area, the kiwi ranks in third position after apples and grapes.
Consumers eat lots of fruits. Thus, fruits have a 66% rate of penetration where fruits such as bananas, mangoes and apples lead the list of imported fresh produce. Kiwi, in particular, has a high penetration among the population and even some countries, like Iran and India, which influence the consumption in the UAE produce small volumes.
Moreover, promotional campaigns have helped the kiwi to gain popularity in the UAE and Saudi Arabia as it is recognized as a good source of vitamin C and good for diabetes, a problem that affects the entire Gulf region.
As for the two main distribution channels for fresh fruit in the UAE, the wholesalers are the most developed and powerful in the industry, and the importers who have their own supermarket chains are increasingly gaining importance in the food sector in general.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the kiwi has a 0% tariff in UAE.
Source: Mundoagropecuario.cl