Annual sales of food products in Saudi Arabia will grow by 4.1 percent and reach a turnover of 166 billion riyals by 2025, according to the Saudi Investing Index.
Madinah has the largest number of shopping centers in the country. Although the holy city and social structure are very similar to Mecca, Medina has 32 percent more shopping centers than Mecca.
The holy cities of Makkah and Madinah are witnessing a huge boom in the retail sector. The figures show that the reason behind this is the presence of culturally, socially, and economically diverse people in both cities and the influx of pilgrims.
Although most of the Haj and Umrah pilgrims consume food as per the packages they book, the eateries of both cities are thronged by Hajis. The figures show that some people's view of shopping in holy cities is encouraging pilgrims to buy even products with international trademarks.