Egypt cements lemon supply lead in Qatar as shipments hit new highs

EGYPT – Egypt has tightened its hold on Qatar’s lemon market, with exports reaching fresh records in the 2024/25 marketing year and lifting the country into a leading supplier role.

Between November 2024 and August 2025, Egypt shipped more than 4,000 tonnes of lemons to Qatar, earning about US$2.5 million. EastFruit data shows this volume almost doubled the level seen in 2023/24 and stood around twenty times higher than in 2022/23. Over the period, Egypt posted an average annual growth rate of 350 percent in lemon exports to Qatar.

Egypt first sent lemons to Qatar in 2000, but yearly volumes stayed below 1,000 tonnes until 2017. Trade then stopped during the Gulf diplomatic crisis between 2017 and 2021. Egyptian lemons returned to the Qatari market in April 2023.

While Egypt stayed out of the market, Turkey supplied most lemons in winter, South Africa led in summer, and Vietnam ranked among the top three suppliers. Turkey’s lemon sector later faced weather damage and weak harvests, which pushed domestic prices up and cut export volumes.

An EastFruit analyst said “the drop in Turkish exports created space for other suppliers, and Egypt responded fast with higher volumes.”

In the 2023/24 season, Egypt matched Vietnam in export volumes. In 2024/25, it moved ahead of both Vietnam and Turkey to rank second among Qatar’s lemon suppliers. Egypt’s share of Qatar’s lemon imports climbed to 25 percent in the first ten months of the season, up from 11 percent a year earlier. In January 2025 alone, Egyptian lemons accounted for 75 percent of total imports.

Guava strengthens Egypt’s wider fruit presence

Beyond lemons, Egypt has also regained its lead in Qatar’s guava market, adding depth to its overall fruit trade recovery. Between July 2024 and April 2025, Egypt exported 858 tonnes of guava to Qatar, valued at about US$817,000. This marked a 54 percent rise from the previous season and a ninefold increase compared to 2022/23.

Egypt entered the Qatari guava market in 1998 and became the top supplier by 2009. The diplomatic crisis disrupted trade until April 2023. By the 2023/24 season, Egypt had returned to first place. In the current 2024/25 season, Egyptian guava makes up more than 60 percent of Qatar’s total imports.

“Egypt has rebuilt trust with buyers through steady supply and consistent quality,” an EastFruit source said.

Egypt’s guava export season runs from August to May, with peak shipments in March, which aligns with Qatar’s highest demand. Since Egypt’s return, suppliers such as Lebanon and Jordan have seen volumes fall sharply, while several other countries have almost exited the market. The number of guava exporters to Qatar dropped to 16 in 2024/25 from 25 a year earlier.

Alongside lemons and guava, Egypt continues to expand exports of oranges, mangoes, and grapes to Qatar, pointing to a steady rebuild of its overall fruit market presence in the country.

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