ABOUT FOOD SOUQ ADVISORY
A specialist advisory practice connecting Saudi Arabia’s food economy with the world
Food Souq Advisory was established to help businesses and investors make better decisions in a sector shaped by evolving consumers, ambitious growth, local context, and operational complexity—whether entering Saudi Arabia or expanding beyond it.
THE PRACTICE
Clarity on the decisions that shape your growth
Food Souq Advisory is a founder-led strategic advisory practice for the food sector. We help international businesses enter and grow in Saudi Arabia, Saudi food businesses expand internationally, and investors and operators across the ecosystem make commercially grounded decisions. Every engagement is personal and evidence-led, anchored in more than 25 years of experience and sustained time in the Saudi market.
25+ years' experience
Analytics, strategic planning, business transformation and delivery, applied across the food ecosystem.
Founder-led
One senior advisor, personally engaged throughout every engagement.
Saudi + international
A perspective shaped by work across Europe, the UAE, Singapore and sustained time in Saudi Arabia since 2023.
WHAT WE OFFER
Seven services, one disciplined approach
From assessing the Saudi opportunity to designing routes to market and supporting investment decisions, each service is shaped around the decision your business is facing.
Saudi Market Entry and Expansion
Assess the opportunity, prioritise customers and channels, adapt the proposition, and define a credible route to market.
Explore this service 02International Expansion from Saudi Arabia
Select the right markets, adapt the proposition, and define the channels, partners, and sequence for international growth.
Explore this service 03Growth and Commercial Strategy
Identify where growth should come from and translate opportunity into focused commercial priorities and initiatives.
Explore this service 04Brand and Concept Development
Turn an opportunity into a differentiated proposition with a clear audience, experience, and commercial rationale.
Explore this service 05Consumer and Market Insight
Build a decision-ready view of customers, categories, competitors, channels, trends, and unmet demand.
Explore this service 06Investment and Opportunity Assessment
Evaluate concepts, businesses, sectors, and opportunities through a commercially informed food-industry lens.
Explore this service 07Partnerships and Route to Market
Define how a proposition should reach customers and the channels, capabilities, and partnerships required.
Explore this service NOT SURE WHERE TO STARTStart a conversation
Describe the decision you are facing and we will suggest the right way in.
Contact us
FOUNDER-LED
Meet Shaheena Rasool
Shaheena Rasool is the founder of Food Souq Advisory. She advises food brands, operators, investors, and market entrants on growth, market opportunity, positioning, commercial strategy, and expansion—supporting both international businesses entering Saudi Arabia and Saudi businesses growing internationally.
Experience, insight and a personal approach
I’m Shaheena Rasool, a business consultant, entrepreneur and foodie at heart, with more than 25 years of professional experience spanning analytics, strategic planning, business transformation and delivery.
Throughout my career, I have helped organisations understand complex challenges, turn insight into clear priorities and move from planning to practical action. My experience has taught me that meaningful growth rarely comes from applying a standard formula. Every organisation has its own ambitions, capabilities and challenges, which is why my approach is always personal, focused and shaped around the individual business.
My work and travels have taken me across Europe, the UAE, Singapore and Saudi Arabia, giving me a broad perspective on how businesses, consumers and markets evolve. Since 2023, I have spent significant time in Saudi Arabia, building relationships, developing my understanding of the market and seeing first-hand the pace of change taking place.
I am particularly inspired by Vision 2030 and the opportunities it is creating across food, hospitality, retail, technology and entrepreneurship. As someone with a longstanding passion for food and experience within the halal-food sector, I am especially interested in how businesses can respond to these changes with relevant, commercially grounded ideas.
Food Souq Advisory is the specialist advisory arm of Food Souq. I created it to share my knowledge and experience while helping founders, brands, operators and investors make informed decisions and pursue sustainable growth in Saudi Arabia.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Clarity before activity
The most valuable advisory work does not begin with a predetermined answer. It begins by defining the real decision, identifying the evidence that matters, and making explicit choices about where to focus—and where not to.
START A CONVERSATION
What decision is your business facing?
Whether you are evaluating the Saudi market, developing a concept, pursuing growth, or considering an investment, we would be pleased to hear what you are working on.