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The Saudi Food and Drug Authority announced the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first national Food Composition Database on Sunday under the National Nutrition Committee and in partnership with the Health Sector Transformation Program. The database supplies comprehensive nutritional information on traditional Saudi foods and local dishes including data on energy carbohydrates proteins fats vitamins minerals and dietary fiber. It was compiled according to approved scientific methodologies and high-quality standards the authority said in its statement. This development marks a significant step in modernizing food and nutrition policies while advancing digital transformation across the health and food sectors.
The authority’s announcement highlighted how the database will function as a key national reference for multiple sectors. Researchers healthcare practitioners and the public can use it to make informed dietary choices and conduct health studies. It will also assist in policymaking community awareness programs and the creation of digital tools for dietary assessment the SFDA added. Food manufacturers stand to benefit through improved product development aligned with accurate local data.
General Authority for Statistics figures show that obesity affects 23.1 percent of adults aged 15 and older in the kingdom while overweight rates reach 45.1 percent. Among children aged two to 14 the obesity prevalence stands at 14.6 percent with an additional 33.3 percent classified as overweight according to the same GASTAT publication. These trends have prompted intensified national efforts to address nutrition-related health challenges the authority noted in linking the database to broader public health goals.
The initiative forms part of Saudi Vision 2030 priorities for enhancing community health and reducing noncommunicable diseases. A related effort under the same program involved analysis of 130 Saudi dishes through standardized scientific methods that included preparing each dish three times and conducting more than 19,000 laboratory tests for 49 nutrients the SFDA has previously detailed. Such foundational work ensures the database offers reliable information grounded in local culinary heritage and consumption patterns.
According to World Health Organization regional data obesity prevalence among adults in Saudi Arabia rose steadily over past decades reaching above 35 percent by 2016 before continued increases in subsequent years. The new database aims to equip policymakers with precise tools to develop targeted interventions and nutritional guidelines. Health experts can leverage it for studies that inform national strategies to boost fruit and vegetable intake which GASTAT data places at low levels with only about 10 percent of adults meeting recommended daily servings.
The SFDA emphasized that the database will drive integration of data and technology in public health advancing both research and industry applications. It builds on earlier phases of branded food data collection that laid groundwork for comprehensive national coverage. This resource is expected to contribute to long-term improvements in dietary habits across the population the authority stated.
