Consumer preferences for Saudi agricultural products in the global halal food market: A conjoint analysis

The global halal food market continues to expand, yet the strategic branding of halal agricultural products particularly from Saudi Arabia remains underexplored. While halal certification serves as a baseline trust indicator, emerging consumer demands now require broader assurances including origin authenticity, traceability, and ethical labelling. This study investigates how branding configurations comprising halal certification type, Saudi origin cues, digital traceability, and ecolabels affect consumer preferences, trust, and purchase intentions for Saudi agricultural exports. A Choice-Based Conjoint (CBC) design was implemented across three regions: The GCC, Southeast Asia, and the European Union. Utility estimates were derived using multinomial and mixed logit models, while latent class analysis uncovered discrete consumer segments. Market share simulations and Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) calculations were also conducted to evaluate the economic implications of different branding scenarios. Findings revealed that GAC certification, Saudi origin cues, and traceability features significantly enhanced consumer utility and trust. The “Saudi+GAC+Traceability” profile captured a dominant simulated market share (92.6%) and yielded the highest profitability despite premium pricing. Segmentation results identified four distinct consumer groups: Certificationfocused, eco-conscious, traceability-driven, and price-sensitive. This research extends halal marketing literature by quantifying the value of multi-attribute branding strategies and integrating religious legitimacy with technological assurance. The findings provide actionable insights for Saudi policymakers and exporters seeking to position their products more competitively in global halal markets.