Sunflower oil is an essential vegetable oil that is widely popular in cooking and the food industry. This article aims to shed light on sunflower oil consumption in the Arab world for the year 2023, while analyzing and comparing supply and demand data between different countries.
Sunflower oil consumption
Data show that there is a clear disparity in the consumption of sunflower oil between the Arab countries. The following graph shows the most important consuming countries:
Iraq: Iraq topped the list of countries consuming sunflower oil with a consumption of 614.6 thousand metric tons, reflecting the high dependence on this oil in cooking.
Egypt: It ranked second with a consumption volume of 369.7 thousand metric tons, showing the importance of oil in the Egyptian diet.
Sudan: It recorded a consumption of 144 thousand metric tons, which reflects increasing demand.
Lebanon and Saudi Arabia: Lebanon ranked fourth with 122.2 thousand metric tons, followed by Saudi Arabia with 115.1 thousand metric tons.
Local production of sunflower oil
Local production is a key factor to meet demand and reduce dependence on imports. The following chart shows the most important producing countries:
Sudan: It topped production with a volume of 40.7 thousand metric tons.
Iraq: It ranked second with a production volume of 34.8 thousand metric tons.
Morocco and Egypt: Morocco recorded 14.1 thousand metric tons, while Egypt's production was 4.8 thousand metric tons.
Other countries: It included low production levels such as Syria (2.9 thousand metric tons) and Algeria (2.3 thousand metric tons).
Sunflower oil imports
Arab countries rely heavily on sunflower oil imports to meet domestic demand. The following chart shows the most important importing countries:
Iraq: It topped the list of importing countries with an import volume of 525 thousand metric tons.
Egypt: It ranked second with 497 thousand metric tons.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 143 thousand metric tons of imports were recorded.
Lebanon: Its imports amounted to 135 thousand metric tons.
UAE: It recorded 130 thousand metric tons.
Sudan and Morocco: Sudan recorded 104 thousand metric tons, while Morocco's imports amounted to 96 thousand metric tons.
Other countries: It included Syria (87 thousand metric tons), Tunisia (76 thousand metric tons), Libya (74 thousand metric tons), and Yemen (53 thousand metric tons).
Sunflower oil exports
Recent data for 2023 shows the volume of sunflower oil exports from Arab countries, with total exports of 156 thousand metric tons. The following graph shows the distribution of exports between countries:
Egypt: Exports topped by 52 thousand metric tons.
UAE: It ranked second with exports of 29 thousand metric tons.
Oman: Exports of 25 thousand metric tons were recorded.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Its exports amounted to 21 thousand metric tons.
Morocco: Exports of 13,000 metric tons were recorded.
Other countries: It included Iraq (8 thousand metric tons), Tunisia (5 thousand metric tons), Lebanon (3 thousand metric tons), Algeria and Syria (1 thousand metric tons each).
Factors affecting the consumption and production of sunflower oil
Population: Demand for oil is increasing in densely populated countries such as Egypt and Iraq.
Dietary habits: Residents of some countries rely heavily on sunflower oil for cooking.
Domestic production versus imports: Countries that face a production gap are highly dependent on imports.
Future expectations
With increasing population growth and improved living standards in many Arab countries, demand for sunflower oil is expected to continue to grow. Increasing domestic production can reduce dependence on imports and enhance food security.
Epilogue
Sunflower oil is a staple in the diet of many Arab countries. By boosting local production and improving the efficiency of supply chains, countries can reduce dependency on imports and ensure stable food supplies in the future.
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