India’s French fry exports take important part Middle East market

French fries from India continue to play an important role in the Middle East. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman have been strong buyers throughout 2025. For five months in a row, the export level of French fries from India has surpassed the 20,000 tonne barrier. The latest export figures - from November 2025 - show that the export volume has more than doubled compared to a year ago. Progress in October was a little slower, with 'only' 25% more export versus 2024. India continues to show solid figures throughout the year, and it is increasing it’s position on the world fries market. During November, India exported 24,887 tonnes of frozen French fries. This is a slight increase over the 23,546 tonnes that was exported during October. Since February 2025, the fries export only dipped slightly during June, meeting figures over 20,000 tonnes in all other months since. Saudi Arabia passes Philippines The Philippines used to be the biggest customer for Indian fries, although Saudi Arabia surpassed this destination for the first time in November ’25. The Saudi’s took a little over 4,500 tonnes of fries, compared to 4,379 tones that were exported to the Philippines. Malaysia is another strong buyer, with more than 2,800 tonnes purchased from India during November. With 1,100 tonnes in November, and 711 tonnes for October, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are a somewhat smaller customer, although export levels did surpass 2,000 tonnes during three of the eleven months in 2025 (December data is not yet public). Oman is another Middle East buyer, usually taking volumes between 700 and 2,000 tonnes. India exported 969 tonnes in November to this country. Growth in Asia Other significant export destinations are exclusively based in Asia, with countries such as Japan, Thailand an Indonesia. Malaysia is an important customer, usually taking 2,000 to 2,500 tonnes of fries. Japan has purchased plentiful fries from India in October and November. During these months 1,414 and 2,019 tonnes were shipped to the country. The secret of India’s fry exports lie for an important part in their price level. The average price level for October ‘25 was €912 per tonne, which is €10 more than in September. Compare this to the average EU-4 price level of €1,240 for the same month. Compared to the US dollar and euro, the value of the Indian rupee has seen a steady decline during the past twelve months, which adds to the competitive position of Indian exporters. Price gap Aside from this, average fry prices have continued to drop since May last year. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting some good deals, with average prices paid often much lower than the India's average. For October, Saudi Arabian buyers paid €800 on average, and buyers from the UAE paid €860. In the same month, Belgian fries were purchased for €1.080 and Dutch fries traded for €1.220 to Saudi Arabia. That is a significant price gap, showing once again the high European price level due to its higher production costs. With its lower prices and steady supply, India has created a strong position for itself in the Middle East. Especially Saudi Arabia always was an important customer for Belgium and the Netherlands, but it’s demand has decreased since last spring. During the past four years, monthly shipments of up to 30,000 tonnes were send to Saudi Arabia, but this has now diminished to little over 12,000 tonnes. That is the lowest export for the EU-4 since June 2024. Even at these numbers, the EU-4 is still exporting almost triple the amount of what India is currently shipping to Saudi Arabia, but their market dominance is continue to decrease. Competition China is a smaller player in the Middle East, but it is also increasing it’s export level, profiting from competitive pricing as well. Egypt – which is the most strategically placed – has increased it's overall fry export, but it’s exports to Saudi Arabia and others are relatively small. They fluctuate between 450 and 850 tonnes per month. With an increased French fry production in India, China and Egypt, these countries will continue to increase their presence on markets such as the Middle East countries. They can take advantage from favourable prices, compared to the EU-4 offerings. This is the new reality that European companies have to reckon with.