Saudi food and beverage group Almarai plans to invest more than $4 billion by 2031 under a new growth strategy covering 2026 to 2031. The company set out the plan at a capital markets day in Riyadh attended by investors, bankers, analysts and members of the business community. Almarai is listed on the Saudi Exchange and is best known for its dairy, juice, bakery and poultry products.
The strategy rests on four priorities. Almarai wants to strengthen its core categories, move selectively into new categories it sees as promising, grow its presence in channels such as foodservice and e-commerce, and expand in priority markets. The first two priorities deal with what Almarai sells, while the last two concern where it sells and through which outlets. The company said the five-year plan builds on decades of spending on its brands, manufacturing, supply chains and staff, and that the new investment will fund extra production capacity and stronger capabilities across the business.
Chief executive Fawaz Aljasser said the plan was backed by the group’s “trusted brands, industry-leading capabilities”. He said the investment is meant to give consumers more choice and make the supply chain more resilient, and he described the company as entering its next phase from a position of strength. Almarai also listed stronger local manufacturing as one of the goals behind the spending.
The company pointed to long-term growth in demand for food and beverages and to rising demand for high-quality products as the basis for the strategy. It also cited its own strengths in manufacturing, distribution, supply chain management, consumer focus and product development. Almarai did not name the new categories it plans to enter or the markets it has marked as priorities, and it did not publish a year-by-year spending schedule or financial return targets alongside the headline figure.
Those details will matter to shareholders. The $4 billion programme is spread over six calendar years, and analysts will want to see how much goes into new factories and farms against acquisitions or market entry costs. The emphasis on foodservice and e-commerce suggests Almarai expects more of its future sales to come from restaurants, hotels and online orders rather than traditional supermarket shelves. Further disclosures are likely to come through the company’s quarterly results as the spending gets under way.
