By Dalia Al Tom I Strategist & Business Development
Canada offers more than maple syrup. Businesses across the Middle East and North Africa already buy Canadian agricultural products, industrial machinery, manufactured goods, and services.
For importers, distributors, and business owners, the opportunity starts with understanding what Canada supplies and which of those capabilities could meet their customers’ needs.
AGRICULTURE AND FOOD: AN ESTABLISHED CONNECTION
According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, MENA imported approximately C$3.83 billion in Canadian agriculture, agri-food, fish, and seafood products in 2024.
Significant products included durum wheat, soybeans, lentils, canola seeds, and chickpeas. These are established trade categories that buyers can investigate for their own markets.
Different products serve different business needs:
• Durum wheat: a sourcing category for millers and manufacturers producing semolina, pasta, or couscous.
• Lentils and chickpeas: products for food importers, wholesalers, packers, and processors.
• Soybeans: a potential input for food and processing businesses, depending on specifications.
• Canola seeds: a requirement for oilseed processors, distinct from purchasing finished cooking oil.
• Prepared foods: products to investigate for retail, food-service, and hospitality distribution.
The first decision is what form of supply your business needs: bulk commodities, ingredients, or finished products. Each requires a different supplier search.
THE GULF BUYS MORE THAN GRAINS
Canadian agri-food and seafood exports to the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries reached C$987 million in 2024.
Selected Canadian exports to these markets included:
• Lentils: C$246.9 million.
• Canola seeds: C$229.4 million.
• French fries: C$24.4 million.
• Prepared groundnuts: C$19.4 million.
• Soybean oil: C$16.1 million.
The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. These figures are in Canadian dollars and represent selected categories, not the entire total.
For a food-service distributor, this could be a reason to investigate Canadian frozen-food suppliers. For a processor, the starting point might be a particular ingredient. For a retail importer, it could be a product suited to an existing customer base.
Recorded trade shows that commercial relationships exist. It does not automatically establish demand for another supplier.
EQUIPMENT AND MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS
The Canadian offer extends well beyond food.
In 2025, Canada exported approximately C$1.3 billion in goods to Saudi Arabia. Global Affairs Canada identifies vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals, and scientific and precision instruments among the leading categories.
Canadian goods exports to Egypt reached C$536.6 million in 2025, led by mineral ores, aerospace products, iron and steel, and cereals.
For manufacturers and project buyers, these examples suggest practical areas to investigate:
• Equipment for a specific production process.
• Components and materials for manufacturing.
• Scientific instruments for laboratories.
• Specialist suppliers for industrial projects.
Start with the operational requirement. Explain the capacity, technical specifications, installation needs, and after-sales support you require. This gives potential suppliers a clearer basis for responding.
TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE
A Canadian business partnership does not always involve a shipment.
The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service identifies clean technologies, education, mining, aerospace, and agriculture and processed foods among the industries to explore in Morocco.
For Saudi Arabia, Global Affairs Canada highlights potential expansion areas, including artificial intelligence, advanced technology, life sciences, education, infrastructure, and mining.
Services also have measurable commercial value. Canadian services exports to Egypt reached C$230 million in 2024. The bilateral report identifies tourism and education as major drivers of services-trade growth.
For a MENA business, this could prompt a search for a technology provider, training partner, technical consultant, or project specialist. Define the outcome first: what should the partnership help your business achieve?
WHERE SHOULD YOUR BUSINESS START?
Choose one requirement and answer four questions:
-
Who is the customer?
Identify the distributor, retailer, manufacturer, institution, or project owner you intend to serve. -
What do they need?
Define the product or service, specifications, quantity or project scope, and timeline. -
Why investigate Canada?
Identify the capability you are seeking and compare suitable Canadian offers with your alternatives. -
What would make the deal workable?
Assess supplier capacity, delivery arrangements, applicable market requirements, and ongoing support.
MENA contains different countries and purchasing channels. An offer that fits one market may need a different approach in another.
EXPLORE THE CANADIAN MARKET WITH OUR TEAM
You do not need a completed deal to start a conversation. You need a product, a business requirement, or a market you want to investigate.
Our team can help identify potential suppliers, request and compare offers, arrange introductions, and support commercial discussions. We agree on the scope and fees before work begins.
What could your business source from Canada?
Tell us your country, what you need, and who will use or buy it.
Discuss a Trade Opportunity:
https://www.can-gate.com/contact
SOURCES AND DATA NOTES
Figures use 2024 and 2025 reference years, as stated. Regional coverage follows each source. The examples describe recorded trade and areas for investigation—not confirmed stock, available suppliers, or guaranteed demand.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada — MENA trade analysis: https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/international-trade/reports-and-guides/competitive-trade-analysis-agri-food-and-seafood-trends-middle-east-and-north-africa-mena
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada — GCC trade overview: https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/international-trade/reports-and-guides/sector-trend-analysis-trade-overview-gulf-cooperation-council
Global Affairs Canada—Canada–Saudi Arabia relations: https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/saudi_arabia-arabie_saoudite/relations.aspx?lang=eng
Global Affairs Canada—Canada–Egypt relations: https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/egypt-egypte/relations.aspx?lang=eng
Trade Commissioner Service — Morocco: https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/en/market-industry-info/search-country-region/country/canada-morocco-export.html
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