Trần Trọng Kim, Head of the VIệt Nam Trade Office in Saudi Arabia at a Vietnamese fresh fruit counter. — Photo congthuong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese exports received a sweet boost on Monday with the presence of its red and yellow-fleshed dragon fruits at the grand opening of Spinneys, a high-end supermarket chain from the United Arab Emirates.

This marked the first time Vietnamese dragon fruit has hit shelves in Saudia Arabia.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Đặng Xuân Dũng highlighted the growing presence of Vietnamese agricultural goods, seafood and canned beverages in Saudi Arabia.

He expressed his hope that Spinneys would expand its offerings of Vietnamese products and pledged the embassy's full support in connecting the supermarket chain with Vietnamese exporters to foster stronger bilateral trade ties.

Sunil Kumar, the CEO of Spinneys, outlined plans for further expansion in Saudi Arabia. Three additional supermarkets are scheduled to open in Riyadh and Jeddah this year, followed by at least four new stores annually over the next five to ten years.

She said Spinneys currently operates over 150 stores across the UAE and marks its presence in Oman. It plans to establish a representative office in Việt Nam, creating a direct channel for Vietnamese products to reach Spinney's shelves across the region.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Việt Nam's exports to Saudi Arabia reached US$615.3 million in the first five months of this year, marking an annual 48.5 per cent rise, mostly with rice, seafood, cashew nuts, pepper, wooden furniture, beverages, apparel, footwear, machinery, auto parts, electronic components, computers and phones.

Meanwhile, Việt Nam's imports from Saudi Arabia decreased by 16.1 per cent to $549.7 million, primarily consisting of plastic materials, chemicals and petroleum. As a result, total bilateral trade turnover reached $1.16 billion, reflecting a 9.2 per cent year-on-year growth. — VNS