Saudi pet market grows to 4.4 billion riyals
Over 1 million pets propel animal care business in kingdom
Cairo: The pet market in Saudi Arabia has remarkably grown to reach SR4.4 billion, giving rise to related activities, according to observers.
These activities include animal care shops, and specialised businesses associated with caring for and sitting with animals, and offering insurance products, reported Saudi newspaper Al Eqtisadiah.
Pet adoption programmes have encouraged Saudi and expatriate families to own them, as these programmes give pet lovers a chance to obtain animals without the need to purchase them at a high cost.
With the presence of more than 1 million pets in the kingdom, animal health care is seen among the promising sectors.
Riyadh topped in terms of commercial registrations for pet care in Saudi Arabia with 451 by the end of the first half of this year, followed by Mecca with 309 and the Eastern Province with 125, according to the same paper quoting the Ministry of Commerce.
According to Chaker Al Ghamdi, a CEO of an animal company, the pet sector is significantly growing in the kingdom, reaching 70 per cent in some regions. Riyadh leads the demand for animals, followed by the western and the eastern regions, Al Ghamdi said.
He cited high demand for cats and dogs, while some species are being imported. Prices prices of cats range from SR500 to 2,500, and dogs from SR1,000 to 7,000, depending on respective species, noted Al Ghamdi.
Meanwhile, Rami Al Khalidi, a manager of pet food factory, said the demand for pet care in general and for food in particular has increased over the past three years. He added that the market size reached SR4.4 billion with an annual growth rate of 9 per cent.
He attributed the growing demand to several factors, mainly the availability of adoption, which allowed families to own pets, and change in society's culture of caring for animals, as there is hardly a home where there is no animal lover.