Saudi Food Bank

What Saudi Food Bank does

Saudi Food Bank (إطعام) is a non-profit charitable association and the first licensed food bank in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region, established in 2011 in Dammam and rebranded to its current form in mid-2021. Licensed under the National Center for Non-Profit Sector Development (License No. 600), the organization addresses Saudi Arabia's estimated SAR 49.833 billion annual food waste while serving vulnerable populations including social security recipients, low-income families, recovering individuals, and cross-border aid cases. Its mission is executed through a dual model of surplus-food redistribution (from hotels, restaurants, corporate cafeterias, and Hajj sites) and direct food basket distribution, plus seasonal Zakat al-Fitr and Udhiyah programs.

The operating model is built on a multi-channel digital infrastructure: the Etaam.org.sa donation platform, Etaam Express mobile service, the Khaier.app beneficiary portal, an SMS donation service, and bank account donations (consolidated under Al Rajhi Bank). Physical operations span headquarters in Dammam, branches in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Ahsa, and Jubail Industrial City, mobile distribution units in Baqiq and Ras Al-Khair, and a new 600 sqm branch in Medina launched May 2026. Strategic corporate partnerships anchor the food supply (Maaden, Aramco, Sipchem, Savola, HungerStation, Almarai, Domino's) and financial sponsorship (SABB, Al Rajhi Bank, Hyundai, Nesma, Mastercard, Amazon Saudi), while government alliances with the Ministry of Hajj, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and the National Center for Non-Profit Sector Development provide regulatory and operational legitimacy.

The revenue model is purely donation-based: cash contributions from individuals, corporations, and government entities, plus in-kind food donations. No commercial revenue is generated; all beneficiary services are free. Distribution is enabled through direct branches, mobile units, partner NGOs (orphan associations, Quran memorization societies, recovery charities), and digital beneficiary registration. The organization maintains a 94% Saudi nationalization rate (155 employees, Q3 2020) and earned a 98.54% governance evaluation in 2024, with a fourth-cycle board (2023-2027) chaired by Abdulatif bin Abdullah Al-Rajhi and led operationally by CEO Faisal Al-Shoushan. A second five-year strategic plan (2026-2030) and ongoing Digital Transformation Project (launched January 2025) signal an institutional scaling phase.

Name

Saudi Food Bank

Legal name

جمعية بنك الطعام السعودي (إطعام)

Website

https://saudifoodbank.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Saudi Food Bank (إطعام) is a non-profit charitable association and the first licensed food bank in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, redistributing surplus food and distributing food baskets to vulnerable families across five Saudi cities via digital donation platforms, corporate partnerships, and government alliances.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank / Charitable Food Redistribution Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Food waste prevention
• Food redistribution programs
• Charitable donation platform
• Food security assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Ad Dammam

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Saudi Food Bank is a non-profit charitable organization that operates entirely on donations from individuals, corporations, and government entities. No commercial revenue-generating activities are conducted. The organization receives donations through online platforms, SMS, bank transfers, and in-kind food contributions from corporate partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Saudi Food Bank (إطعام) is a licensed non-profit charitable association that collects surplus food from corporations, hotels, restaurants, and event organizers, then redistributes it to vulnerable families, social security beneficiaries, and pilgrims in need. The organization operates donation platforms, beneficiary portals, food basket distribution, food preservation services, and seasonal Zakat/Udhiyah programs across five Saudi cities.

Product overview

Saudi Food Bank (بنك الطعام السعودي 'إطعام') is a charitable non-profit organization licensed by the National Center for Non-Profit Sector Development (License No. 600) serving as the first food bank in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region. Founded in 2011 in Dammam, the organization operates a portfolio of charitable services centered on food security and waste reduction. The core service offerings include the Etaam Donation Platform for digital giving, the Beneficiary Portal for service management, the Save Grace Service for food preservation, SMS and bank-based donation channels, and physical food basket distribution. Supporting initiatives include the Haj Without Waste Program, the Takafolna Sa'adatna campaign with sports clubs, the Etaam Food Club membership for industry partners, the Catering Program with central kitchen operations, and seasonal Zakat and Udhiyah projects. The organization operates branches across five cities and maintains partnerships with government agencies, corporations, and volunteer networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Etaam Donation Platform (منصة إطعام للتبرع)

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved 1,212,642 meals from waste in Q1 2018 (66% growth YoY)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Food Security Alliance - MedinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026Launched the Food Security Alliance in Medina region in partnership with multiple supporting partners, coinciding with the opening of the new Medina branch on 600 sq meters to build a sustainable operational and logistics model
• King Saud Medical CitymoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2022MoU to collect untouched surplus food from the medical city, repackaged and verified for quality and food safety, then distributed to beneficiaries
• Almarai (المراعي)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2021Almarai powdered milk added to the Etam food basket program starting September 2021 as part of efforts to develop food products and improve quality of services
• Saudi British Bank (SABB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2021MoU to establish and operate the first central kitchen in Riyadh, funded and sponsored by SABB, to prepare and distribute hot meals to beneficiaries from surplus dry and canned food
• Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (Social Security Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2021Cooperation agreement to activate food assistance program for social security beneficiaries in Riyadh, Eastern Province, and Makkah Region, and build a beneficiary database
• Sipchem (الصحراء العالمية للبتروكيماويات)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 October 2020Renewed partnership for sponsorship of the transport and distribution sector across all Etam branches for 2020. Relationship began in 2015 with support for various initiatives. Major partner in the Food Preservation Alliance.
• Maaden Phosphate CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 October 2020Partnership renewed for 3 years for surplus food collection from company buffets in Ras Al-Khair, signed by board member Fares Al-Shammari and company president
• HungerStation (هنقرستشين)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 October 2020Partnership since 2017 enabling food delivery donations and supporting Corona relief efforts. Recognized at the UN ceremony for their contributions to Etam's humanitarian pandemic response.
• Land Mark Arabian Group and CompaniesmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2020New food support through thousands of food baskets for Etam beneficiaries via Centrepoint, Splash, and Babyshop brands
• Taafi Charitable Association for Recovering from Addiction (تعافي)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2020Cooperation agreement for Etam to provide periodic food assistance to beneficiaries registered with Taafi, including feeding residents of their recovery housing complex
• Center of Excellence for Developing Non-Profit Institutions - King Fahd University of Petroleum and MineralsmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2020Partnership to establish the volunteer unit according to the national volunteering standard (Idama), in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development
• SASREF and SATORPmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2020Partnership for distributing 220 food baskets to beneficiary families of the Quran Memorization Association in Jubail
• Al Rajhi Bank (مصرف الراجحي)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2019Partnership for sponsoring 5,000 volunteer hours in food preservation, with bank staff volunteering in Riyadh, Dammam, Al-Ahsa, and Jubail. Also partnered for residential complex sponsorship.
• Savola Group (صافولا)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2017Partnership with Savola Group and Jeddah Chamber to launch the Guidelines for Managing Food Waste in Restaurants, aiming for behavioral change and awareness among business owners
• Maaden Phosphate CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Partnership to provide surplus food from company restaurants in Ras Al-Khair industrial city, renewed for 3 years in 2020. Partnership started in 2015 with ongoing support.
• Ehsan Platform (إحسان)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational charitable giving platform licensed by the National Center for Non-Profit Sector enabling transparent donations to Etam
• MastercardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Amazon Saudi and Mastercard as part of the Members Club food sector business membership program
• Amazon Saudi (أمازون)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Mastercard for Amazon Saudi as part of the Members Club food sector business membership program
• Domino's Pizza (دومينوز بيتزا)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pizza of Good campaign distributing meals to beneficiary families in Jubail
• Jeddah Chamber of Commerce (غرفة جدة)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for launching Guidelines for Managing Food Waste in Restaurants, executed with Savola Group
• Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Gulf Region Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Aramco and regional oil companies for food surplus collection and distribution initiatives
• East Arabia Chamber of Commerce (غرفة الشرقية)moderateOthersPartnership for training programs and sharing marketing experiences in the non-profit sector, with 40 associations participating

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Global Food Banking Network: International umbrella organization supporting food banks globally. Comparable as the ecosystem/peer network connecting food banks; could serve as an industry-level peer for benchmarking and partnership.
• Ehsan (Saudi National Charitable Platform): Saudi's national licensed donation platform under the National Center for Non-Profit Sector Development. Functions as a distribution/infrastructure partner to Etaam rather than a direct competitor; routes donations to Etaam and other licensed charities.

Direct peers

• Emirates Red Crescent Authority: UAE's humanitarian organization providing food assistance and relief. Most comparable peer as a national-level licensed charitable food distributor in the Gulf, serving vulnerable populations with similar corporate partnership model.
• Food Bank Bahrain: Bahrain's licensed food bank with similar focus on food rescue and redistribution. Comparable mission, scale, and Gulf-region operating context to Saudi Food Bank.
• Qatar Red Crescent Society: Qatar's national humanitarian organization delivering food assistance through corporate partnerships and volunteer networks. Closely comparable structure and Gulf-region charity framework.
• Kuwait Food Bank (Tabah): Kuwait's national food bank focused on surplus food redistribution. Operates the same food bank model as Etaam in a neighboring GCC country, providing direct mission and operating model comparability.
• Faz Foundation (UAE): UAE-based charitable food distribution organization focused on Ramadan and year-round food basket programs. Comparable model targeting food insecure families through corporate CSR partnerships in the Gulf.

Regional players

• Bahrain Red Crescent Society: Bahrain's licensed Red Crescent with food assistance programs. Comparable humanitarian framework and Gulf operating context though broader mandate than dedicated food banking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SaudiFoodBank
• Facebookfacebook.com/Saudifoodbank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saudifoodbank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saudi Food Bank