Due to the arid climate of these countries, it is practically impossible for them to grow fruit and vegetables without putting an undue burden on their already limited water supply. This, of course, means that there is a vast potential market just waiting to be tapped. To date, however, Vietnamese exports to these countries have not yet reached their true potential. Of these nations, Saudi Arabia is the largest importer of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables with sales reaching more than US$9 million, followed by the UAE at US$7.5 million. Overall, the sales of fruits and vegetables to all six GCC nations reached US$31.9 million in 2014. The MoIT also stressed that these figures are likely to increase if Vietnamese fruit and vegetable growers and processors invest more in technology and adopt marketing strategies to better meet the importers' needs.
