SAUDI ARABIA – Tyson Foods, an American multinational food corporation, has acquired stakes in two Saudi Arabian meat processing companies in an effort to expand its presence in the Middle East.

According to a report by Supermarket Perimeter, Tyson Food’s Saudi Arabia deal includes a 15% stake in Agriculture Development Company (ADC) and a 60% stake in Supreme Foods Processing Company.

ADC is a fully integrated poultry company that produces broiler chickens and operates hatcheries and feed mills.

Supreme Foods Processing Company is, on the other hand, a producer of a variety of value-added and cooked chicken and beef products.

Both companies are subsidiaries of Tanmiah Food Company, a Saudi-based integrated producer and supplier of poultry and other meat products in the MENA region.

Under the agreement, which is still awaiting approval from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia watchdogs, Tyson Foods and Tanmiah have committed to expanding the processing capacity of Supreme Foods.

The companies said the expansion would double production capacity for Tanmiah in further processed products marketed across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Oman, Lebanon, and Jordan among others.

Chris Langholz, President of International for Tyson Foods said: “This investment will enable us to access poultry supplies in Saudi Arabia to meet the growing demand for protein in the Middle East and other markets.”

“Expansion into international markets is a key part of our strategic growth plan and we’re pleased to better serve customers in this region.”

 

The total Tyson Foods sales from international business and exports represented 14% of total company sales in the fiscal year 2021, this included US$4.8 billion in US export sales and US$2 billion in foreign country revenues.

Tan Sun, President of Tyson Foods added that the strategic partnership is expected to accelerate Tyson Foods’ and Tanmiah’s growth and generate significant value in the short and long term.

This will be primarily achieved through further expansion across the value chain, enhanced product, customer, and geographical diversification, as well as improvement of production and other operational processes, he stated.

The agreement will also see Tyson Foods and Tanmiah unlock long-term opportunities in the growing Halal food market, according to Sun.

Zulfiqar Hamadani, Chief Executive Officer of Tanmiah also commented that the transaction will not only reinforce Tanmiah’s positioning in the domestic market but will also enable it to expand its global footprint through leveraging Tyson Foods’ long-standing relationships with customers worldwide.

The purchase of stakes in ADC is part of Tyson’s strategy to continue to expand its value-added capacity around the world.

The company plans to open seven fully cooked plants outside the United States over the next two years that is, six of the facilities will be in Asia and one will be in Europe.

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