Saudi Arabia, one of the world's top rice buyers, and the UAE are both planning to secure more Thai rice imports this year to meet domestic demand, traders said.

India, the world's second-biggest rice exporter in 2007 and a main supplier to the Gulf Arab region, banned all non-basmati rice shipments in March.

Government supply curbs, such as New Delhi's, have spooked importers, such as the Philippines and Bangladesh, at a time when global stocks have halved since hitting a record high in 2001, causing benchmark Thai prices to nearly treble this year.

But earlier this month, India's food secretary T Nand Kumar told Reuters that India would soon consider selling limited volumes of the Asian staple to its neighbours or countries with which India had a "strategic interest".

"Most of the importers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are planning to secure more rice supplies from Thailand instead of waiting for India to lift its export ban," a Gulf food importer said.

"The prices are skyrocketing, but we are very keen on securing enough supplies from Thailand, which is the most suitable option for the time being," he told Reuters.

Last year, Saudi Arabia imported 960,000 tonnes of rice, making it the world's sixth biggest rice importer, according to US Department of Agriculture data.

Around 70 percent of the kingdom's rice imports were basmati rice, while Thai rice accounted for 10 percent, traders said, adding that the country is likely to start investing in rice farms in Thailand by the end of this year.

In neighbouring UAE, which buys about 750,000 tonnes of rice mainly from India, Pakistan and Egypt, Thai rice imports stand at around 60,000 tonnes a year, they added.

"I would not be surprised if by the end of this year we double or treble our imports from Thailand, if we can, to cover the shortage in the market," an Abu Dhabi-based rice importer said.

Traders have said the UAE will continue to face a shortfall in rice supplies at least until August, when consumer and producer nations replenish stocks and expected extra crops to boost supplies.

The rising price of staples such as rice -- dubbed a "silent tsunami" by the World Food Programme -- has sparked violent protests from Haiti to Somalia, and heightened fears that the
world's poor may soon struggle to feed themselves.

The Gulf Arab countries rely heavily on food imports, leaving them vulnerable to price changes on international markets.

Food price inflation in the UAE, the second-largest Arab economy, is partly driven by the dirham's link to the dollar,
which hit record lows against the euro and a basket of major
currencies last week.

Rice importers are demanding at least a 25 percent subsidy for rice after the government signed agreements with supermarket chains to fix food prices at 2007 levels, part of measures to curb spiralling inflation.

"There are some negotiations between rice importers and the government to find a solution after many complained about selling rice below their costs," a government source said.

"Introducing rice or rather food subsidies is one of the options we are still looking at, but we will reach a decision soon."

The Emirates Society for Consumer Protection has urged the government to subsidise basic food items as part of measures to curb food price rises, which it expects to reach 40 percent this year. -Reuters