Since April 26, 2024, the yearly Saudi mango festival has been showcasing tens of varieties in Jazan and Al-Qunfudah areas.
The key varieties under showcase are popular within and outside Saudi Arabia, including Tommy Atkins, Langra and Sensation.
Most farmers’ showcases have been taking place in Mecca region’s Al-Qunfudah near the Red Sea, which produces 50% of national mangoes.
Despite its lengthy summers that last March through October, Al-Qunfudah still manages 45,000 tonnes in mango production yearly.
The rural area surrounding the city comes to life each May when the harvest on 0.5 million mango trees kicks off. Around 3,000 farmers here cultivate mangoes organically under irrigation, a reason for the popularity of their produce.
In the past 50 years, the region has been helping raise national production, which reached 0.89 million tonnes in 2023.
Jazan Region Hits 65,000 Tonnes
Al Qunfudah’s farmers compete with those of the southwestern Saudi region of Jazan, also situated near the Red Sea.
The region has seen production improve from 30,000 tonnes in 2018 to 65,000 tonnes in 2022.
Though still behind Al-Qunfudah in tree population at 1 million trees, Jazan is famous for having 60 mango varieties. The main two include Sudani and Baladi cultivars.
Saudi Mango Festival at Retail Stores
At the retail front, Lulu hypermarket helped showcase 24 varieties of Saudi mangoes to customers from May 1 to 7.
Apart from the usual favorites like Tommy Atkins, the retail chain also displayed Baladi sub-cultivars including Kabeer, Zibta and Koora.
Also in showcase were Keeth, Shila, Thoomi and Zill, varieties that do well under the country’s dry humid climate.
The next Saudi mango festival in western Saudi Arabia will return in 2025 from late April through early May.
Saudi Arabia Mango Statistics
How many mangoes does Saudi Arabia produce each year? In 2023, mango output reached 88,600 tonnes. What is the growth rate of Saudi Arabia’s mango production? Mango production is increasing by 1.72% per year, based on the 2020-22 period. How many mango varieties are cultivated in Saudi Arabia? By May 2024, the Jazan region boasted 60 varieties, which also grow in other parts of the country. What are the local varieties? Local cultivars include Sudani, Baladi, Zibta Ahler, Thoomi and Zill, among others.
What is the cost of mangoes in Saudi supermarkets? A kg of local mango in May 2024 was 6.95 SAR ($1.85) while imported mango was 23.95 SAR ($6.39) at Lulu hypermarkets.