Russian agricultural product exporters underestimate Saudi and UAE markets - head of Russian Export Center

YEKATERINBURG. July 10 (Interfax) - Russian companies in the agro-industrial complex have underestimated the Persian Gulf countries as an export market, but now they have begun to actively increase shipment volumes, Veronika Nikishina, General Director of the Russian Export Center, told reporters at the Innoprom-2023 exhibition in Yekaterinburg on Monday.

"We have seriously underutilized the volume potential of the Persian Gulf market. During our participation in exhibitions, we can see from the example of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that our food is of great interest, and that there is demand for Russian agricultural products," Nikishina said.

These countries used to perceive Russia exclusively as a supplier of grain and oil, but now they are interested in supplies of other agricultural products as well, she said.

"The variety of items that the agro-industrial sector produces is amazing, because we represent a large number of finished processed food products. We are also strong in the ice cream and chocolate production industries. Participation in exhibitions opens the eyes of our potential partners in the Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Last year, we doubled the volume of exports due to the fact that we began to work more actively with them," Nikishina said.

In addition to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a surge in export activity in the agricultural sector is observed in the direction of the countries of Southeast Asia, Iran and China, which opened up after Covid restrictions.

"Africa is also a large and interesting market for us. Many companies are starting to look at the African market more professionally than before," Nikishina said.