Despite the significant annual consumption of honey in Saudi Arabia, information gaps remain with regard to the marketing and market structure of honey along the value chain. This study analyzed the major factors that influenced the consumption, expenditure patterns, and demand of honey in Saudi Arabia. This study forecasted the near-future expected market demands for honey in Saudi Arabia by collecting and analyzing the primary data using questionnaires. A total of 331 respondents from representative regions and large cities were randomly selected and interviewed. The data were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods as well as appropriate econometric models. Respondents characterized honey quality using organoleptic words, and these characterizations varied based on the relative significance of perception parameters. Taste, aroma, physical state, and color had aggregated average scores of 4.58, 4.44, 3.54, and 3.28, respectively. In addition to the above parameters, honey source, brand name, and confidence in the producers influenced its perceived quality. The major outlets for honey in Saudi Arabia included producers, specialized honey stores, and auction markets in major cities during the harvesting seasons. Medication, food, and sweetening were the major motivations for buying honey in the Saudi market, with aggregate scores of 4.52, 3.71, and 1.52, respectively. Significant honey price variations were observed within and among different honeys and packaging volumes; this finding might be due to factors such as botanical and geographical origins, package volume size economics (i.e., bulk purchases), honey variety blending, brand names, and producer policies. The average price of locally produced honey was approximately $73 per kg, which is 10 times more than the average price of honey in the US and the EU. The estimated consumption/income elasticity was 0.27. These results suggest that honey is a basic commodity in Saudi Arabia. Based on econometric model forecasts,

<p class="Default">Date sector is a considerate sector worldwide with an estimated trade value equivalent to about 3.72 billion Saudi Riyals (SR) in 2013. Enhancing marketing efficiency of dates becomes imperative to nations that date sector has a special status in their economies and social heritage such that of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.</p><p class="Default">This research paper is targeted to estimate the marketing efficiency of dates at different marketing channels qualitatively using a typical five level LIKERT scale and quantitatively using the Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis (2s DEA), to estimate the potential economic impact of improving marketing efficiency on the date marketing channels and on the national economy, and to introduce a set of policies and mechanisms that enhance the competitiveness of the Saudi dates at the local and international markets.</p>The estimated results showed that the total market value of the Saudi dates is about 22.65 billion SR annually, and there is a great potential to improve date marketing efficiency to achieve an additional 30 per cent of value added to traders and the national economy, equivalent to about 6.88 billion SR annually. The research paper concluded with a set of policies and mechanisms to enhance the marketing efficiency and the competitiveness of the Saudi dates at the local and international markets.

The objectives of this study were to estimate an aggregate price elasticity of demand for municipal water in Saudi Arabia, and to analyze the welfare impact of raising the municipal water tariff. The study utilized available aggregated data (Ministry of Water and Electricity, 1999–2008), and regression techniques to specify water demand functions within the frame of the increasing block tariff applied in Saudi Arabia. The estimated price elasticity of municipal water demand was about –0.39. The impact of an assumed 33% rise in the municipal water tariff was predicted to save about 11.121 cubic meters per household per month, which would lead to a total annual saving of about 128.544 million cubic meters. The percentage increase of the average equilibrium price would reach 12.7%. Therefore, the percentage decrease in consumer surplus per household amounts to 9.43%.