April 30, 2010

 

 

Arab's emerging seafood enterprises like Saudi National Prawn Company (NPC) has good prospects of growth and expansion as public awareness on the health benefits of seafood starts to grow in the Gulf.

 

"The seafood industry in the Gulf is developing and it is mostly because of change in diet. There is a focus on the Middle East on healthier eating and seafood provides a healthy balanced diet," says Laurence Cooke, director of communications of the privately owned NPC.

 

He was speaking at the Brussels Seafood Fair, the world's largest seafood exhibition which closed Thursday (Apr 29).The fair has attracted buyers and sellers from over 140 countries around the world with over 1600 exhibitors.

 

Situated on the Red Sea coast south of Jeddah, NPC is said to be the largest fully integrated desert prawn farms in the world.

 

The company has 12 farms and each farm has 10 ponds which produces 15,000 tonnes of white prawn sold in Saudi Arabia and exported around the world. "We believe certainly there is a future of seafood industry in the Gulf. There is obviously interest in places like Yemen and Oman with farming operations," said Cooke.

 

Ahmad R. Al-Balla, managing director of NPC said, "We cover the local market and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and about 70% of our products is exported to Asia and Europe."

 

NPC which currently employs 3,000 people is completely self-sufficient in every facet from power and water through to pond, plant and infrastructure.

 

"We now have locally-produced high-standard products which are readily available in fresh format. We are seeing that there is a growing interest in our products in the region," said al-Balla.

 

"We are launching products in the regional markets visible to the people and natural health food concerns everybody. In GCC countries people have the money and naturally they will select the good food once it is available," he added.

 

The Saudi seafood entrepreneur said they have been participating in the Brussels seafood fair for the last six, seven years.

 

Saeed Bin Khalfan al-Nomani from the Omani Ministry of Fisheries Wealth said this was the second year of their participation in the Brussels seafood fair. Four Omani companies are taking part this year and their main export products to Europe are tuna and shrimp.

 

The estimated potential of fish catch in Oman stands at 287,000 tonnes. Oman exports of fish products were valued at 60.7 million rials (US$156 million) during 2009. The annual per capita consumption of fish in Oman stands at 16.3 kg against the world average of 10 kg.

 

A number of Arab and Asian countries like Mauritania, Tunisia, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand had a strong presence in the three-day fair.