Abdullah M. Alhamdan 1, Yosef A. Alamri 2, Alaa A. Kotb 2, Fahad Aljuhaim 3, Saleh Al-Ghamdi 1, Suliman Almojel 2, Jawad Alhashim 2, Sharafeldin Bakri Alaagib *,2 and Eman Alropy 4
1Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Administrative Science Program, Applied College, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
*Corresponding author: salaagib@ksu.edu.sa
This study provides an economic and technical assessment of cold and freezing storage warehouses in the Riyadh region, focusing on their role in improving food supply chain efficiency. Data were collected from 60 facilities, with Riyadh City accounting for 88.3% of the sample, reflecting its central role in the sector. Results reveal wide variation in facility characteristics, including room count, storage capacity, and workforce size, with an average storage capacity of 3,078.95 tons. Larger warehouses demonstrated clear economies of scale, reducing unit storage costs. Market orientation is predominantly domestic, with 84.88% of storage serving local demand and only 20.61% allocated to exports, highlighting underutilized export potential. Financial analysis showed an average monthly net profit of SAR (Saudi Riyal) 194,000 (51,733 USD), with variable costs comprising 93.08% of total expenses. Regression results confirmed that the number of rooms, years of experience, and workforce size significantly and positively influence.