Vietnamese dragon fruit makes a splash at Spinneys debut in Saudi Arabia

Vietnamese exports received a sweet boost on June 24 with the presence of its red and yellow-fleshed dragon fruits at the grand opening of Spinneys, a high-end supermarket chain from the United Arab Emirates.

This marked the first time the Vietnamese dragon fruit has hit shelves in Saudi Arabia.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dang Xuan Dung highlighted the growing presence of Vietnamese agricultural goods, seafood, and canned beverages in Saudi Arabia. He expressed his hope that Spinneys would expand its offerings of Vietnamese products, and pledged the embassy's full support in connecting the supermarket chain with Vietnamese exporters to foster stronger bilateral trade ties.

Sunil Kumar, CEO of Spinneys, outlined plans for further expansion in Saudi Arabia. Three additional supermarkets are slated to open in Riyadh and Jeddah this year, followed by at least four new stores annually over the next 5-10 years.

She said Spinneys currently operates over 150 stores across the UAE and marks its presence in Oman as well. It is planning to establish a representative office in Vietnam, creating a direct channel for Vietnamese products to reach Spinneys shelves across the region.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam's exports to Saudi Arabia fetched 615.3 million USD in the first five months of this year, marking an annual 48.5% rise, mostly rice, seafood, cashew nuts, pepper, wooden furniture, beverages, apparel, footwear, machinery, auto parts, electronic components, computers and phones.

Meanwhile, Vietnam's imports from Saudi Arabia decreased by 16.1% to 549.7 million USD, primarily consisting of plastic materials, chemicals and petroleum. As a result, total bilateral trade turnover reached 1.16 billion USD, reflecting a 9.2% year-on-year growth.