United Group, Saudi Arabia’s biggest barley buyer, is shifting purchases away from the Black Sea region to other suppliers. The company cites continued disruption to grain exports from Ukraine and Russia during the war, along with rising freight and insurance costs. Bloomberg reported the move on 4 September; it was also covered by the Ukrainian agricultural outlets Latifundist and UkrAgroConsult.
In the first half of 2026, about a quarter of the company’s imports came from the Black Sea basin, and that share is now falling. Barley delivered to Saudi Arabia costs up to 25% more than two months ago, according to United Group chief executive Abdulaziz Al-Dharrab. The last vessel the company chartered from the Black Sea arrived in the kingdom roughly two weeks before the report.
Where the purchases are going
Argentina stands to gain most: it could account for about 30% of United Group’s purchases this year, up from around 20% last year. The company also buys barley from Romania, Bulgaria and France and is considering Australia and the Baltic states.
This is not a retreat from the whole region. Romanian and Bulgarian barley, also shipped across the Black Sea, remains in the portfolio. What is being cut are supplies tied to ports exposed to attacks.
Disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz adds to the pressure, raising the importance of Saudi Red Sea ports, through which grain also moves on to other Gulf states.
Who pays
Barley in Saudi Arabia is used mostly as animal feed, so more expensive grain will hit poultry and lamb producers. United Group expects part of the extra cost to reach consumers through food prices.
What it means for Ukraine
The direct loss for Ukrainian farmers is small: Saudi Arabia was not among the main buyers of Ukrainian barley in the 2025/26 season. The broader signal matters more. Major importers in the Middle East and North Africa are increasingly pricing Black Sea risk into their contracts and looking for long-term alternatives, even at higher logistics costs. Winning those buyers back once the situation stabilises will not be easy.
Background
Saudi Arabia is the world’s second-largest barley importer. The US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service forecast that the kingdom’s barley imports would rise from 1.9 to 4.2 million tonnes in 2025/26, UkrAgroConsult reported.
Ukraine’s barley exports in 2025/26 fell to their lowest level since at least 2007/08, with ASAP Agri expecting just over 1.5 million tonnes, according to Latifundist. The largest buyers were China (487,000 tonnes), Turkey (297,000 tonnes) and Libya (230,000 tonnes), according to data cited by Latifundist. Roughly half of Ukraine’s barley went to the Middle East, including a record 110,000 tonnes bought by Lebanon.
