Tuna, salmon firm Alliance Select eyes Middle East market

Tuna and salmon processor Alliance Select Foods International is planning on building partnerships with distributors to boost its presence in the Middle East.

Alliance Select, based in the Philippines, said the Middle East is an important market for the company’s overseas business, given the robust consumption activity in the region.

“As we continue to fortify our presence in international markets, the Middle East plays a pivotal role in our current sales strategy,’ said Raymond See, president and CEO of Alliance Select.

‘This region boasts of a strong consumer market with an increasingly growing taste for quality tuna and smoked salmon and we are eager to position our products at the forefront of this promising trend,” said See.

According to the Gulf Cooperation Council, the entire Middle East region consumes a total of 392,000 metric tons of fish every year and is expected to grow year on year until 2030, with the United Arab Emirates alone expected to exceed the region’s current consumption.

The company added that the hike in consumption can be attributed to an increasing population, affluence, and economic diversification by some countries in the region.

The Middle East is not a new market for Alliance Select but it is determined to leverage its strength and familiarity with the industry to successfully grow its tuna and salmon business in the region, it said.

‘Alliance Select is equipped to be a major player in the Middle Eastern fish industry thanks to our vertically integrated business model. The vertical model covers manufacturing, canning and distribution, which ensures that the company provides fresh, premium quality seafood products,’ See said.

Thai Union Group, the world’s largest tuna canner, is also planning expansion in the Middle East.