US egg exports to the Middle East North Africa (Mena) region grew 73 per cent in US dollar terms in 2017 over the imports in 2016, said a report.

Middle Eastern consumers are showing a fast-growing appetite for eggs, according to the latest data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), added the Times of Oman report.

The increase in figures represents a volume growth of 88 per cent for US table eggs, and 83 per cent for US egg products, it said.

Both consumer and industrial egg consumption have increased as demand has grown in the region. A growing population, rising incomes and evolving dietary patterns are sparking demand, supplemented by a thriving tourism sector.

Within the Mena region, the fastest growing importers of US eggs were Bahrain, which grew 1713 per cent in value in 2017 over 2016, Jordan (559 per cent), Oman (168 per cent), Saudi Arabia (107 per cent), and the UAE (65 per cent).

The growth is especially important even as local egg production in the region is growing and some of these countries are close to self-sufficiency in eggs.

This encouraging year-on-year growth has prompted the American Egg Board (AEB) to double its efforts to educate consumers about the health benefits and the exceptional quality of US eggs, which makes them a popular choice at retail, foodservice and in food manufacturing facilities, added the report.