Pakistani pet food manufacturers are increasingly targeting Gulf markets as they look beyond an underdeveloped domestic sector and tap into fast-rising demand for premium pet nutrition in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and wider GCC states. Drawn by strong pricing and cultural proximity, Pakistani producers see the region as their most realistic first step toward building an export foothold.
Waggles, one of Pakistan's leading pet food manufacturers, is on track to begin exports to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries by the end of 2026, chief executive Rafae Dossal recently told local media.
Saudi Arabia is the primary target, as the market has experienced a surge in pet ownership in recent years. The company is also eyeing the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and parts of Africa, Dossal said.
Launched in 2020, Waggles says its business has grown steadily since inception. In 2025, the company generated Rs250 million ($893,000) in net revenue, according to Dossal.
Waggles' drive to expand overseas reflects a broader industry trend, with other leading Pakistani pet food producers also exploring export opportunities.
Pet King Global, which sells products under the Groove Pet Food brand, is also working to expand into the Middle East and other markets, company spokesperson Muhammad Rameez Qureshi told Petfood Industry.
The company has obtained several certifications, follows AAFCO guidelines and expects to receive its HACCP certificate in April 2026.
"We already have orders from the UAE and Oman, and we will ship them as soon as we receive the remaining required documents," Qureshi said. "Besides the Gulf market, we are also in talks with distributors from North America and Europe and are actively pursuing those opportunities."
The company said it began considering exports after years of successfully competing with imported and domestic brands in Pakistan.
"One of our key differentiators is that our recipes have been formulated in collaboration with New Zealand-based scientists, ensuring international-quality nutrition and standards," Qureshi said.
A mix of push and pull
Pakistani manufacturers are looking abroad for a mix of push and pull factors, Nandini Roy Choudhury, senior analyst at Future Market Insights, told Petfood Industry.
On the push side, Choudhury said, the domestic market remains relatively underdeveloped, with imported brands historically dominating and consumer awareness of formulated pet nutrition still evolving.
"On the pull side, Gulf markets are attractive because pet ownership is rising, premiumization is improving, and import demand remains strong in markets such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE," Choudhury said.
According to Choudhury, research on Pakistan's pet sector points to low awareness and limited availability of quality local products, while USDA market reports describe Saudi pet food demand as growing rapidly and being heavily supplied through imports.
"The domestic pet food market has grown significantly, especially after COVID-19," Qureshi said. "One of the key trends is the increased focus on cats, as more households adopted cats during that period. This has led to a noticeable rise in demand for high-quality cat food, along with a broader shift toward premium and nutritionally balanced pet diets."
Pakistani pet food companies are not exploring exports solely because of relatively weak demand at home.
"It is also about export economics and scale," Choudhury said. "Gulf buyers can often support better pricing, especially for manufacturers that can position themselves as cost-competitive regional suppliers with halal credibility, proximity advantages and shorter lead times than some distant exporters."
In recent years, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have seen strong growth in demand for high-quality pet food, largely driven by the pet humanization trend.
Choudhury added that success will depend less on price alone and more on product consistency, certification, formulation quality, packaging standards and distributor execution.
"In my view, Pakistani companies can be competitive in selected overseas markets if they focus on Gulf distribution, regulatory compliance, reliable sourcing and a clear value-for-money proposition," Choudhury said. "Breaking into mature Western markets would be much harder, but building a foothold in the GCC looks more realistic."
