Two Afghan saffron companies, Arsh Ghazni Company and Pashton Zarghon Saffron Grower Women, under the support of Danida’s “Organic Growth: Taking Afghanistan’s Certified Saffron Value Chain to Scale” project, showcased Afghanistan’s premium saffron at the 13th Edition of Foodex Saudi 2025, held from 3 to 6 November at the Jeddah Center for Exhibitions and Events. The exhibition, Saudi Arabia’s leading international food and drink trade event, brought together exhibitors from 17 countries to promote global food and beverage innovation.
Supported by Hand in Hand International (HIH) and Danida, with Kathryn Kelly representing the donor side, Nesar Ahmad Atayee, representative of the Afghan Saffron Union, and seniors from Hand in Hand Afghanistan Organization, the participation aimed to strengthen market linkages and explore new markets for Afghan saffron. The companies engaged in B2B meetings, visited markets in Jeddah and Medina, visited exhibition booths, and conducted a rapid market assessment to identify saffron distribution channels in Jeddah.
During the exhibition, Pashton Zarghon Saffron Grower Women and Arsh Ghazni Company sold saffron to local supermarkets, hotels, and individual customers. The event resulted in promising connections with regional traders, including Egyptian importers, and established new business linkages with Jeddah supermarkets, marking a key step toward expanding Afghanistan’s saffron export market.
The project aims to support saffron companies in achieving ISO standards (5 companies, out of which 2 are led by women) or EU organic (2 companies) certification to supply international market actors in increasing volume. The project also tries to increase the price premiums on ISO and EU organic certified saffron along the saffron value chain in Herat, Afghanistan, since 2021.
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