USGBC presents 2025/26 U.S. corn quality findings to Saudi, MENA buyers
A strong delegation of U.S. industry representatives and USGBC members, including the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council, The Andersons, CHS, TransGlobe, POET, Bunge, STONE X and CM Navigator were in attendance.
SAUDI ARABIA – The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) has reinforced its engagement with the Middle East and North Africa through a series of rollout events in Saudi Arabia, presenting the findings of its 2025/2026 Corn Harvest Quality Report to key regional buyers and industry stakeholders.
The events, held in Riyadh and Jeddah, brought together importers, feed manufacturers and end-users from across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the wider MENA region, highlighting U.S. corn’s performance, consistency and value proposition.
According to Ramy H. Taieb, USGBC regional director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), hosting regional conferences remains a core part of the Council’s market development strategy.
He said such platforms allow customers to engage directly with U.S. producers and exporters, supporting the establishment of long-term, mutually beneficial trade relationships.
Taieb added that the Council has maintained a long-standing presence in the Saudi market, with recent efforts focused on developing storage programmes to improve port logistics and offering transparent comparisons of U.S. corn against competing origins in terms of performance and financial returns.
The rollout began with a half-day seminar in Riyadh, attended by around 20 senior representatives from Saudi importers, feed millers and end-users.
The event featured a strong delegation of U.S. industry participants and USGBC members, including the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council, The Andersons, CHS, TransGlobe, POET, Bunge, STONE X and CM Navigator.
These companies engaged directly with local buyers, presenting updates on the availability of U.S. corn, corn co-products and sorghum, while also using the forum to strengthen commercial contacts.
The programme then moved to Jeddah, where two half-day regional sessions attracted buyers from nine MENA countries: Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
Participation levels and active discussions reflected sustained regional interest in U.S. corn, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn fermented protein (CFP) and sorghum.
Technical sessions also addressed best practices for grain handling and storage under hot and humid climatic conditions, a key concern for importers operating in Red Sea and Mediterranean ports.
A broad delegation of U.S. agribusiness firms took part in the Jeddah meetings, engaging directly with regional importers and reinforcing commercial linkages that support U.S. agricultural exports into the MENA market.
Representatives from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) based in Riyadh joined the Council and its members at both events, underlining the importance of the bilateral agricultural trade relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Mohamed Salah Bouthour, USGBC deputy regional director for Africa, said Saudi Arabia’s ongoing expansion of its livestock, poultry and aquaculture sectors is creating clear opportunities for U.S. feed grains and co-products.
He noted that as the Kingdom seeks to improve protein self-sufficiency, demand for reliable, high-quality feed inputs is expected to grow.
Bouthour added that the corn quality rollout events, alongside other Council programmes, demonstrate the U.S. agricultural sector’s commitment to supporting regional industry growth through consistent supply, quality assurance and value-added technical support.
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