The Middle East and Gulf is a market with strong demand in citrus and stone fruit, and one where the route and the product decide how a load travels: refrigerated road, sea reefer or air cargo, or a combination of them. MC Sarıkaya Gıda is a fresh fruit and vegetable trading company with family roots in the Istanbul Bayrampaşa wholesale market. We source 38 products and 169 varieties from 34 regions of Turkey through our grower network and prepare them for export under management systems certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 22000:2018.
What we supply to the Gulf and Middle East
Citrus leads the demand from the region: mandarins from the very early Satsuma types in September to the late varieties in April, together with lemons, oranges and grapefruit. Stone fruit follows in its season with cherries, apricots and peaches, alongside pomegranates and watermelons. In January-June 2026 Iraq was the largest market for Turkish citrus by value at 357 million US dollars, ahead of Russia at 236 million (Mediterranean Exporters' Associations data). Products in demand:
Month-by-month availability is shown on our season calendar; the full range, including watermelon and vegetables, is on the product portfolio page.
How shipments to the Gulf and Middle East are planned
The transport mode is never fixed in advance. For each order we weigh refrigerated road, sea reefer, air cargo or a combined route against the destination, the product's shelf life and the delivery deadline. Whichever mode is chosen, loading follows the same parameters:
- Refrigerated truck: roughly 20-22 tonnes or 33 euro pallets; road shipments start from one pallet per product within a mixed load.
- 40' reefer container: 20-23 pallets depending on product, with temperature logging; sea shipments are planned on a full container basis.
- Air cargo: weighed for short shelf life or tight deadlines, alone or combined with a road or sea leg.
- Cold chain: pre-cooling before loading and carriage at -1 to 15°C by product group; temperature data loggers are added on request and the record is reported at delivery.
- Delivery terms: EXW, FOB, CIF or DAP; for FOB and CIF, name the destination port in your request.
Our logistics page sets out the shipment standards in full.
Documents and compliance for the Gulf and Middle East
Every consignment travels with a phytosanitary certificate issued by Turkey's plant protection authority for that consignment, a commercial invoice stating the agreed Incoterms rule, and a packing list matching the declared weight and item count to the cargo. A certificate of origin can be arranged on request. Any further document required by the importing country in the Gulf or Middle East for a specific product is agreed per shipment at the quote stage, which is why the destination country should be named in the request. Grading is destination-independent: products are classified Extra, Class I or Class II under the UNECE and Codex marketing standards. Pesticide-residue limits (MRL) vary by target market; our grower partners are asked to share their agricultural application records, and the destination tells us which residue documentation to plan. Our quality control and certifications pages describe the controls behind each load.
Packaging, grading and private label
Loads are palletized on 80×120 cm EUR or 100×120 cm ISO pallets with corner boards and strapping, and the packaging is matched to the chosen transport mode. Private label packaging is prepared to the buyer's specification, with design and print details agreed during the quote discussion; packaging and caliber options are listed on each product page.
How to request a quote
Send us the product and variety, the quantity in pallets, tonnes or containers, the destination and the delivery date, together with your preferred delivery term, through our quote form; our team typically replies within 1 business day. For the full sequence from delivery term to documents, see our guide to importing fresh produce from Turkey and our export markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is fresh produce shipped from Turkey to the Gulf?
By refrigerated road, sea reefer or air cargo, or a combination of them, depending on route and product. A refrigerated truck carries roughly 20-22 tonnes or 33 euro pallets; a 40' reefer container carries 20-23 pallets with temperature logging. The mode is chosen per shipment on the basis of destination, the product's shelf life and the delivery deadline.
Which documents accompany a shipment of Turkish fruit to the Gulf and Middle East?
Every consignment travels with a phytosanitary certificate issued by Turkey's plant protection authority, a commercial invoice stating the agreed Incoterms rule, and a packing list matching the declared weight and item count to the cargo. A certificate of origin can be arranged on request, and any further document required by the importing country is agreed per shipment.
Which Turkish fruits are in demand in the Gulf and Middle East?
Citrus above all: mandarins, lemons, oranges and grapefruit. Stone fruit follows in its season with cherries, apricots and peaches, alongside pomegranates and watermelons. Each product page lists its varieties, calibers, packaging and transport temperature.