Saudi Arabia Matcha Market 2026: Demand, Café Trends, Imports & B2B Opportunities
The short read on the Saudi Arabia matcha market is that a real, fast-growing and almost entirely import-dependent demand has formed — and for a B2B buyer that is a sourcing and supply-chain signal, not a lifestyle story. Japanese matcha imports jumped roughly ninefold in a single year, cafes in Riyadh and Jeddah now build menus and revenue around the drink, and because the Kingdom grows no tea of its own, every cup is poured from imported powder.
It is written for importers, wholesalers, OEM formulators and health, wellness or protein brands supplying Saudi Arabia at scale — not for choosing where to drink. It reads the demand data as a procurement brief: how fast the market is growing, what compliance requires (SFDA, SABER, Arabic labeling, halal), and a supplier-selection checklist you can apply to any supplier.
Key Takeaways
- Demand is real and volatile: matcha imports rose from 9,000 kg (2022) to 81,000 kg (2023), then 46,000 kg (2024), per Arab News.
- Prices signal a premium tier: cafe servings run about SR16–SR29 and home kits SR110–SR180 at retail (Arab News, 2025).
- %s because Saudi Arabia grows no matcha — the market is import-reliant, mostly on Japan.
- Compliance is the real gatekeeper: SFDA rules, SABER conformity, Arabic labeling and halal handling gate every shipment (SFDA).
- Buyers win by planning ahead: match grade to application and lock volume and lead time early, using the checklist below.
Researched and reviewed by the Matcha Times Editorial Team, operated by the Japan Matcha Export Organization (JMEX). Last reviewed: September 20, 2026. See our Editorial Policy and Sources & Methodology. Found an error? Tell us.
How big is the Saudi Arabia matcha market?
The honest one-line answer is that the Saudi matcha market is in an early, high-growth phase: still small in absolute tonnage, but growing fast, premium priced, and expanding from a specialty niche into mainstream cafe and retail menus. The clearest evidence is in the import data. According to Arab News (citing Al-Eqtisadiah), Saudi imports of Japanese matcha rose from about 9,000 kg in 2022 to 81,000 kg in 2023 — worth roughly SR9 million (about US$2.40 million) — before settling at 46,000 kg (SR7 million) in 2024.
Two scope points keep this honest. First, those figures are matcha-specific volumes, distinct from the wider green-tea category, which imported about 2.5 million kg (SR79 million) in 2023 and 2.3 million kg (SR74 million) in 2024 (Arab News, 2025) — do not confuse matcha with green tea overall. Second, the 2023-to-2024 dip in matcha shows a young market still finding its baseline, not a decline; year-on-year swings are normal at this stage.
| Metric (source: Arab News / Al-Eqtisadiah, 2025) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matcha imports — volume (kg) | 9,000 | 81,000 | 46,000 |
| Matcha imports — value | – | SR9m (~US$2.40m) | SR7m |
| Green-tea category — volume (kg) | – | ~2,500,000 | ~2,300,000 |
| Green-tea category — value | – | ~SR79m | ~SR74m |
For a longer horizon, commercial researchers size the opportunity in the hundreds of millions of dollars: one estimate values Saudi Arabia’s green-tea market (which includes matcha) at about US$140 million, rising toward US$229 million by 2033 (IMARC Group). Treat that as an attributed commercial estimate, not an official statistic — estimates vary by provider and definition (Mobility Foresights). The verifiable, on-point signal for a buyer is the import trend above, plus the cafe demand below.
For Companies Seeking Matcha Powder
We source matcha from Japan’s premier production regions including Kyoto Uji, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, and Shizuoka, offering comprehensive grade ranges from organic JAS-certified ceremonial grade to processing-grade matcha.
Common Challenges:
- “We have projects but cannot secure stable matcha supply…”
- “We want to incorporate matcha into new café menu items!”
If you face these concerns, consult with Matcha Times. Feel free to contact us for initial inquiries.
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What is driving matcha demand in Saudi Arabia?
Three forces sit behind the numbers, and each one tells a supplier something about what the market will ask for. Understanding them is what turns a trend headline into a demand forecast you can source against.
A young, cafe-first consumer base
Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s youngest populations, and cafe culture has become a central social “third place” for it. That base has driven matcha from a specialty-shop curiosity to a fixture on trendy menus in Riyadh and Jeddah, with operators reporting it as a genuine revenue line: one Riyadh venue cited around 350 matcha cups sold per branch on a weekend, roughly 22% of its beverage revenue, while another chain put matcha lattes at about 10.5% of sales and over 150 kg of powder used monthly across branches (Arab News, 2025). Read as demand data, that means steady, repeatable volume, not novelty spikes.
From niche to mainstream menu
Matcha has widened well beyond a single “green tea latte.” Saudi cafes and home preparers now span iced and hot lattes, flavored and fruit-fusion drinks, and a growing dessert line, sold at a clear premium — roughly SR16 to SR29 per cafe serving, with home-preparation kits at SR110 to SR180 at retail (Arab News, 2025). These are retail consumer prices, not wholesale or import prices, but the tier is the point: buyers are paying for a specialty experience, which gives brands room to source genuine quality rather than the cheapest powder.
Health, wellness and Japanese-culture interest
The narrative pulling new drinkers in is wellness and an appetite for Japanese culture — matcha is positioned as a considered, antioxidant-rich alternative to coffee (Arab News). For a B2B buyer the practical implication is that provenance is a selling point, not a footnote: authenticity, provenance and grade claims are part of the product, so a supplier must be able to document real Japanese origin and grade rather than simply print the word on a menu.
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Why the boom is a sourcing story, not just a demand story
The reason a market trend belongs in a procurement plan is that the drink Saudi Arabia is adopting is almost entirely imported, at a moment when the source itself cannot flex. Because the Kingdom grows no tea for matcha, Saudi cafes and brands have a near-total reliance on imports — mostly from Japan — and that dependence turns any wobble in Japanese supply into a local cost and availability problem.
On the supply side, Japan is under genuine strain. Global demand has outrun the ability to grow the shaded tencha leaf that matcha is milled from, and Japanese trade data shows tea exports climbing while producers warn of tight supply and heat-stressed harvests (Japan Customs Trade Statistics). To keep scope honest, Japan’s headline export figures are value-and-volume totals and cover green tea in total, not matcha alone — but the direction is unambiguous: input costs are rising and will not fall quickly.
The combined message for a Saudi buyer is rising demand, tightening supply, and a premium that rewards early, documented sourcing. In a tight market the brand that has already agreed grade, volume, documentation and lead time with a reliable exporter keeps its menu on-color and in-stock, while competitors chase spot supply at rising prices.
Importing matcha into Saudi Arabia: SFDA, SABER, labeling and halal
This is the section the news and lifestyle coverage skips, and it is where deals succeed or stall. Matcha enters Saudi Arabia as a regulated food, so clearance depends on getting the compliance framework right before a shipment leaves Japan.
The building blocks below are described qualitatively on purpose — specific fees, timelines and document lists change, so confirm the current requirements with the SFDA and a licensed customs broker before you ship. Treat this as a map of what to verify, not a fixed rulebook.
| Requirement | What to verify (confirm current details with SFDA / your broker) |
|---|---|
| SFDA food oversight | Saudi Food & Drug Authority regulates imported food, its safety and its labeling — the importer of record handles food registration and consignment clearance (SFDA) |
| SABER / SASO conformity | Products in scope need a Certificate of Conformity through the SASO SABER platform, linking the importer, an approved body and customs (trade.gov; SABER) |
| Arabic labeling | Product name, ingredients, net weight, storage, and manufacturer/importer details in Arabic, with accurate expiry and nutrition information |
| Halal handling | Pure single-ingredient matcha is inherently plant-based; the risk sits in flavored/blended SKUs and shared processing — confirm ingredients and any halal documentation your buyer requires |
| Food-safety documentation | A per-lot certificate of analysis (heavy metals, pesticides/MRL, microbiology) from an accredited lab, dated close to shipment |
The practical takeaway is that compliance is a supplier capability, not just a buyer chore: a supplier who can prepare export paperwork, a compliant label pack and per-lot testing as one flow removes most of the friction that delays a Saudi shipment.
A supplier-selection checklist for the Saudi market
Once demand and compliance are clear, translate them into criteria you can hold any supplier to. Matcha is agricultural and varies by crop and lot, so a written spec plus a per-lot COA is what makes quality repeatable. The checklist evaluates any supplier — including JMEX — against the same criteria, never a scored ranking.
| Criterion | What to verify with any supplier |
|---|---|
| Grade fit by application | Ceremonial-grade for straight lattes and culinary-grade for iced, fruit-fusion and dessert lines — matched to your SKUs, not one blanket grade |
| Origin & traceability | Documented Japanese origin, region, cultivar and harvest — not just an “authentic” or “Uji” menu word |
| Color & batch consistency | A defined color reference and lot-to-lot consistency you can check on arrival, since color is the visible grade proxy |
| Saudi compliance support | Help with SFDA-ready documentation, Arabic-label content and SABER/conformity paperwork for products in scope |
| Supply continuity & lead time | Realistic monthly volume and lead times through a tight market, plus a qualified backup grade or origin |
| Pricing transparency & trade terms | Quotes with a clear trade condition (FOB/CIF/EXW), stated MOQ, and how price moves as Japanese leaf costs change |
Before committing volume, put these questions to any matcha supplier:
- Which grades do you offer for a ceremonial drinking line versus a culinary dessert/fusion line, and can you document origin, region and harvest for each?
- Can you supply a paid trial lot large enough to test color, flavor and milk dispersion in my own Saudi recipes before a production order?
- Will you provide a per-lot COA from an accredited laboratory (heavy metals, MRL, microbiology) dated close to shipment?
- What support do you give on SFDA registration, Arabic labeling content and SABER/conformity documentation?
- What volume can you commit monthly through the current shortage, what is the lead time to a Saudi port, and what happens if a lot is short?
- How are your quotes structured (FOB/CIF/EXW, MOQ), and how does price adjust as Japanese tencha costs move?
From the exporter’s perspective
From the export side, the brands that win an early market like Saudi Arabia treat the demand data as research, not marketing: they read the import and cafe signals, decide which grades and formats they actually need, and lock a documented supply agreement before peak season rather than chasing spot powder when supply tightens. Because JMEX ships authentic Japanese matcha with traceable origin, can match grade to application, and prepares export and food-safety documentation as one flow, a buyer holds a single consistent standard across reorders instead of relabeling whatever is available that month.
Sources & Methodology
This article synthesises recent Saudi import reporting, the official SFDA/SASO compliance framework and Japanese trade data rather than a proprietary survey. We publish no invented buyer statistics: matcha-specific figures are kept distinct from the wider green-tea category, value is separated from volume, and retail cup prices are never presented as wholesale or import prices. Market-size valuations are attributed commercial estimates, not official statistics. Each source below states what it supports, its date and its scope.
- Arab News — Saudi matcha imports surge — Saudi matcha-specific import volumes and values 2022-2024, the wider green-tea category totals, RETAIL cafe/kit prices, and named-cafe demand signals (2025, accessed 2026-09-20; secondary media citing Al-Eqtisadiah / trade statistics; retail not wholesale)
- Arab News — matcha goes mainstream in Saudi Arabia — the demand narrative: young demographics, cafe culture and wellness / Japanese-culture interest (2025, accessed 2026-09-20; secondary media; qualitative demand context)
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) — the official framework for imported-food oversight, safety and labeling in Saudi Arabia (accessed 2026-09-20; Saudi government (primary/official))
- U.S. International Trade Administration — Saudi Arabia Standards for Trade — the SASO/SABER conformity-assessment framework for products entering Saudi Arabia (accessed 2026-09-20; official government commercial guide)
- Japan Customs Trade Statistics — the primary trade-statistics portal for Japanese green-tea export value and volume (the export side) (accessed 2026-09-20; Japanese government (primary))
- Mobility Foresights — Saudi Arabia matcha tea market — an attributed commercial market-size estimate; provider estimates (IMARC/Mobility Foresights) vary by definition (2025, accessed 2026-09-20; commercial provider estimate; not an official statistic)
Why Buyers Choose JMEX (Japan Matcha Export Organization)
A partner built for exactly this kind of early, import-dependent market is JMEX (Japan Matcha Export Organization), a wholesale and export partner focused on shipping authentic Japanese matcha overseas. Rather than leaving a fast-growing Saudi menu to spot supply, it selects verified Japanese origin, designs the grade to the application, and prepares the export, food-safety and quality documentation as one flow so the matcha you brief is the matcha that arrives.
For a Saudi cafe group, importer or brand program specifically, JMEX can match ceremonial and culinary grades to your drinking and dessert lines, supply a paid trial lot to test color and dispersion before a production order, and provide a per-lot certificate of analysis documenting origin, harvest and a color reference. With an export track record to 43 countries, it supplies from a small paid sample up to one-ton volume for importers, wholesalers, OEM and health, wellness or protein manufacturers — the continuity and traceable documentation a Saudi menu depends on when color consistency and reliable resupply are on the line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions buyers ask most about the Saudi Arabia matcha market.
How big is the Saudi Arabia matcha market?
It is early-stage but growing fast. Matcha-specific imports rose from about 9,000 kg in 2022 to 81,000 kg in 2023 (worth roughly SR9 million / US$2.40 million) before settling at 46,000 kg in 2024, per Arab News. That is distinct from the broader green-tea category (about 2.3–2.5 million kg a year). Longer-term commercial estimates put the green-tea market that includes matcha in the hundreds of millions of dollars, but those are attributed provider estimates, not official statistics.
Why is matcha booming among young Saudi consumers?
A very young, cafe-going population has embraced matcha as a wellness-positioned, premium alternative to coffee, helped by strong interest in Japanese culture (Arab News). Menus have widened from a single green-tea latte to iced, flavored, fruit-fusion and dessert formats, which keeps the trend fresh and premium-priced rather than a passing fad.
How much does a matcha latte cost in Saudi cafes?
Published reporting puts cafe servings at roughly SR16 to SR29, with home-preparation kits at about SR110 to SR180 at retail (Arab News, 2025). These are consumer retail prices that vary by venue and over time; they are not wholesale or import prices, but they do confirm a clear premium tier.
What does SFDA and SABER clearance require for imported matcha?
Matcha is treated as a regulated food. In practice that means SFDA oversight of food safety and labeling, a SASO/SABER Certificate of Conformity for products in scope, compliant Arabic labeling, and per-lot food-safety testing (SFDA; trade.gov). Specific fees, timelines and document lists change, so confirm the current requirements with the SFDA and a licensed customs broker before shipping.
Does pure matcha powder need halal certification?
Pure, single-ingredient matcha is inherently plant-based, so the halal question is usually straightforward for the powder itself. The real attention points are flavored or blended SKUs, additives, and shared processing lines — confirm every ingredient and any halal documentation your Saudi buyer or channel requires, alongside standard SFDA food-safety and labeling compliance.
Where do Saudi cafes source their matcha powder?
Overwhelmingly from imports, mainly Japan, because Saudi Arabia does not grow tea for matcha. Menu cues such as “ceremonial” or origin names point to Japanese supply as a selling point. For a brand entering the market, the practical step is to work with an exporter who can document origin, region and grade and commit to consistent resupply, rather than buying whatever spot lot is cheapest.
Learn More About Global Matcha Trends at Matcha Times
Matcha Times is a specialist media platform covering the global matcha market — sourcing and wholesale, supply and pricing, trade and regulations, production and origins, and the companies shaping the industry.
From market analysis and price trends to café case studies and interviews with tea farmers, we help buyers, importers, distributors, and manufacturers stay ahead of where matcha is heading. Explore more and put the global matcha market to work for your business.
Conclusion
When origin, grade, and export conditions align, matcha becomes a stable revenue source. Start by defining your requirements and confirming quality with a sample.
Looking for wholesale or OEM matcha samples? Contact us — we will recommend the optimal origin and grade based on your application and target markets.
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