Tanmiah Food Company, one of the Saudi Arabia’s leading vertically integrated producers of poultry and other meat products, has officially opened the Tanmiah Innovation Center at its headquarters in Riyadh. The R&D facility was inaugurated in the presence of Chairman H.E. Amr Al Dabbagh and Dr. Abdulaziz bin Malik Al-Malik, deputy minister for research and innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, as well as other representatives from the Culinary Arts Commission, the Agricultural Development Fund, the Environment Fund, and Tanmiah’s executive management team.
Built to international standards, the center is designed to manage the entire innovation and R&D product lifecycle in one place. Concept creation, project evaluation, prototype development, pilot trials, consumer validation and market launch are handled within a single integrated ecosystem, rather than split across separate functions or external suppliers.
The inauguration follows a period of significant achievement for Tanmiah. In 2026 for the fifth consecutive time, through its Agricultural Development Company (ADC) subsidiary, the company received Product of the Year Gulf Edition honors for its Frozen Breaded Chicken Range (seen below) and its Taste Secrets Fresh Marinated Shaqra Pepper Chicken Breast Fillet in the marinated category.
In addition to consumer product innovation, the innovation center is designed to foster close collaboration with hotel, restaurant, café/catering (HORECA) and other foodservice partners on tailored solutions ranging from product development to menu creation. Its capabilities extend beyond poultry products themselves, supporting the development, testing and validation of new protein categories. The platform is positioned for expanding Tanmiah’s value-added portfolio across the broader protein landscape, advancing the company’s vision of becoming the leading global provider of halal, sustainable and healthy protein products.
The facility is organized into four connected areas: creation and research, kitchen, application, and sensory analysis. This integrated structure supports faster responses to emerging trends, improved decision-making, and higher product quality, all while protecting operational continuity. By replicating Tanmiah’s further-processing and marination capabilities at a micro-laboratory scale, the facility enables products to be fully developed and validated on site before moving directly to production. This reduces lead times, improves responsiveness to consumer feedback, and ensures products reach the market in the shortest possible time.
“We are strengthening our ability to respond faster and more effectively to the evolving needs of our customers and consumers, creating products that are more convenient, healthier, and deliver greater value,” said Zulfiqar Hamadani, group chief executive officer. “At the same time, it enables us to contribute positively towards the ambitions of Vision 2030 by developing a more diversified, self-sufficient, and sustainable food sector. For six decades, our deep connection to the communities we serve has been a cornerstone of our resilience and success, and we believe it will remain central to how we grow and create value for generations to come”
Marcos Delorenzo, ADC’s chief executive officer, added: “Chicken meat is one of the most versatile proteins, offering tremendous possibilities for innovation across flavors, spices, formats and occasions. The innovation center allows us to unlock that potential, responding faster to evolving consumer trends and customer needs with differentiated products and customized solutions. Is capabilities also take us beyond poultry, providing a platform to explore new protein categories and expand Tanmiah’s role in the future of food in the Kingdom, regionally and globally.”
