Carrying on our in-depth exploration of global AgriFoodTech ecosystems and after releasing reports on Spain and Italy, we are now glad to share our new report on the Middle East & Wider Region AgriFoodTech ecosystem. This report has been developed in collaboration  with our FoodTech 500 sponsor NEOM, a region in northwest Saudi Arabia being built from the ground up as an accelerator of human progress and a vision of what a New Future might look like.

Download full report HERE

Why the Middle East?

The geography of the Middle East is characterised by vast desert areas, which represents a challenge when it comes to agricultural production due to the scarcity of water resources and fertile land. Indeed, although representing 7.2% of the region’s GDP, agricultural productivity levels are quite low, for instance with its cereal yield being respectively ½ and ⅓ than those of Europe and the US (World Bank Data). For this reason, the Food System in the Middle East & its wider region is geared towards food imports, which makes it more vulnerable to international supply chain shocks and represents an obstacle to the access of fresh and nutritious food for the majority of its inhabitants. Many Middle Eastern countries are also witnessing an increase in population, with a projection of half of MENA countries to be growing from at least 50% from their 2015 levels by 2050, according to UNICEF, and a growing urbanisation adding additional strains to the local food chain.

For these reasons, in recent times AgriFood technologies capable of overcoming these challenges have captivated the interest of both Middle Eastern public investment authorities and VCs, as well as local leading universities. Investments in AgriFoodTech startups and scaleups companies in the Middle East & Wider Region have become more and more significant over the years, reaching the amount of €1.5B in 2021.

In this report, we took a closer look at the AgriFoodTech trends as well as actors, investors and ecosystem enablers of the region and this is what we found.

AgriFoodTech in the Middle East & Wider Region – a promising trajectory

The AgriFoodTech ecosystem in the Middle East & Wider Region features a range of over 427 ecosystem actors, of which 270 are local startups and scaleups. 

Categorising them according to our proprietary taxonomy, we saw how Agtech is the leading subsector, offering technologies ranging from vertical farming to precision agriculture and highly tailored to the needs of the region. An Example of these companies is Red Sea Farms, which cultivates tomatoes with salty water. Other noteworthy sectors are Food Delivery and Kitchen & Restaurant tech, also represented by two local unicorns, Saudi Arabian Jahez and Emirati Kitopi.

The regional AgriFoodTech ecosystem is led by Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Egypt with 225 currently active startups having raised $2.8B since 2012. In particular Turkey is definitely on an upward trajectory for the number of nascent startups and their level of investments, especially with regards to the Food Delivery sector. North African countries are lagging behind compared to the rest of the ecosystem. However, led by Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia, an increased AgriFoodTech startup presence and activity can be expected in the next few years.

Last but not least, a number of interesting partnerships and collaborations between public and private ecosystem stakeholders are likely to give a real boost to the Middle Eastern startups scene, for instance with the Saudi University KAUST activities focusing on research and entrepreneurship, the Emirati initiatives FoodTech Challenge and FoodTech Valley, just to name a few.

Curious to see more info and data on the Middle East & Wider Region AgriFoodTech ecosystem? Would you like to hear the views of local experts?

For this and more, you can find Forward Fooding and NEOM’s full report HERE !

Note: considered as a full mature ecosystem by itself, we have chosen not to include Israel as part of the present report, in order to focus on emerging players

AgriFoodTech Ecosystem Map

Showcasing its 270+ startup and scaleup companies, the Middle East & Wider Region FoodTech Ecosystem map is a useful tool to visualize the rise and diversity of AgriFoodTech innovations. We are also mapping out all the ecosystem supporters, accelerators and investors that are contributing to fostering FoodTech innovation, and their number is growing! Another sign that Middle East is on its way to taking a more prominent position on the global FoodTech map. Put yourself on the map today by adding your organization here.

Are you a key player in the Middle East & Wider Region FoodTech ecosystem? Put yourself on the map today by adding your organization here.

The FoodTech Data Navigator

The FoodTech Data Navigator, launched in 2019, has become the world’s biggest network of AgriFoodTech innovators. It provides a thorough overview of the AgriFoodTech landscape, showcasing innovative companies from across the globe. Comprised of over 16,000 actors, the FoodTech Data Navigator has transformed our understanding of the industry by making data accessible. Click here to learn more about the FoodTech Data Navigator, or request a live demo by filling in this form.