Made in UAE: consumers turn to local food brands

• UAE imports 85% of food
• Plans to increase production
• Market for snacks growing

UAE consumers are increasingly turning to locally produced products, according to the head of a multi-billion-dirham food and beverage conglomerate. 

Consumption patterns in the region are changing rapidly, prioritising healthy lifestyles, time-saving and convenience while maintaining authentic tastes. 

“If you can produce something locally, give them good value for money, they are much more open to locally produced products,” said Ahmad Yahya, president, food and water at Agthia during an exclusive interview at the Gulf Food exhibition in Dubai.

“Hence ‘Made in UAE’ is a reminder to progress more towards producing in the UAE than importing products,” he added.

• UAE diners eat local as global fast food faces boycott
• UK cheese sales buck trend in F&B exports to the GCC
• Americana 2023 revenue rises on 300 new store openings

The UAE imports nearly 85 percent of its food. One of the objectives of the National Food Security Strategy 2051 is to increase local production and reduce reliance on other countries. 

Snacking is another consumer habit gaining ground in the region. The size of the GCC snacks market grew from $4 billion in 2022 to almost $6.7 billion last year, according to a report by MarkNtel. 

Agthia’s snacking revenue has increased 38 percent year on year owing to growth in the UAE as well as internationally in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil.

“Snacking was thought to be casual eating. Now it has become part of your daily routine,” Yahya said. 

“Gone are the days of rigid meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – you have many more snacking occasions. It’s part of the lifestyle change and hence our snacking division has done tremendously well and we have invested in different snacking brands too.”

Manufacturer and retailer GMG has launched chicken chips brand Shnax. To find out more from the company’s CEO Mohammad A Baker, watch the video