Even when things don’t seem to go well, economically speaking, the food industry has always been a shining light in the Kingdom. The country has developed many brands that continue to sell beyond its borders. Vice versa there have been many international brands that have entered the Kingdom, some have done it so well that most of us never knew that they were actually non-Saudi.
Here are some of those brands that you’ve been thinking were Saudi for much of your life but actually aren’t.
Vimto
This popular Ramadan drink originated in the UK. It used to be a health tonic in its initial days.
Suntop
The brand is owned by Denmark based Co-Ro Food. The same company also owns the Sunquick and Suncola brands as well.
Americana
We all love it and many of us have (figuratively) grown up eating its delectable products. Well as it turns out Americana is headquartered in Kuwait.
Ulker
Being one of the earliest entrants in the Saudi market (it even has its own factories in the Kingdom by now), Ulker is originally from Turkey.
Gandour
Safari, Tofiluk, Moods, Yamama …. the list goes on, as the confectionary giant is home to so many products we love. The brand however originated in Lebanon.
Noor Oil
The popular cooking oil brand is owned by UAE based IFFCO. The conglomerate also owns another popular cooking oil brand – Sunny.
Igloo
Love the ice cream? Nevertheless, this brand also originated in the UAE.
KDD
Well-known for its dairy products, the group is based in Kuwait.
RC Cola
It is in fact one of the oldest soft drinks in the cola segment on the planet and was founded in America by a pharmacist who had a tiff with a Coca-Cola salesman. The ‘RC’ in its name stands for Royal Crown.
Indomie
No other instant noodles brand even comes close to Indomie in the Kingdom. But nopes it is not Saudi, the brand is owned by Indonesian food giant Indofood.
Moussy
The non-alcoholic beer brand that’s a craze in the region originated in Switzerland. It was also the first non-alcoholic beer to enter the Middle Eastern market on full scale.
