Opinion Food & Drink Being Michelin rated is more than just an accolade Dubai's fine diners are not the only people to benefit from Michelin star quality June 29, 2022
Food & Drink Chef Jason Atherton opens fine dining restaurant in Jeddah A new Mediterranean restaurant in Jeddah is bringing a fine dining experience to the city thanks to a partnership between English chef Jason Atherton and Saudi businessman Abdelkarim Abbar. Located at the newly opened Jeddah Yacht Club on the Red Sea, Marina Social, operated by Atherton and owned by Abbar, opened on June 19. Atherton’s […] June 22, 2022
Food & Drink Kellogg’s faux meat spin-off faces ‘tough environment’ Kellogg Co’s plan to spin off and potentially sell its profitable MorningStar Farms vegetarian patties and plant-based meat business could shake up the frozen aisle in grocery stores. But the line of plant-based breakfast sausages, burgers and faux chicken, priced significantly less than premium brands such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, faces a “tough […] June 22, 2022
Opinion Food & Drink Dinner is served – but not like before As people are dining out again, food delivery apps need to rethink their model June 20, 2022
Entrepreneurs How I got to the top: Erika Blazeviciute Doyle, Drink Dry What does your company do? Drink Dry is the UAE’s first and only non-alcoholic drinks marketplace. We aspire to open the world to new and better ways of drinking. We sell and distribute premium non-alcoholic drinks in the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. What inspired you to develop your idea? The business idea […] June 17, 2022
Analysis Economy UK targets Gulf for growth post-Brexit and Covid Rocked by the double whammy of Brexit and the global pandemic, UK businesses have endured a tumultuous two years. As European trade battles sharp retrenchment – UK-EU exports dropped by 12 percent last year, a loss of £20 billion – British companies are pursuing new growth avenues and the Gulf is proving to be a […] June 16, 2022
Food & Drink Saudi region awarded global gastronomy title The Aseer region in southwest Saudi Arabia is to be given a global showcase after being awarded the title of World Region of Gastronomy 2024 by the Barcelona-based International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). The move is part of a wider $13 billion plan to redevelop the tourism potential of the little-known […] June 13, 2022
Tourism Saudi operator of Domino’s and Dunkin’ plans IPO Alamar Foods, the Saudi-based operator of fast food giants Domino’s and Dunkin’, has announced plans for an initial public offering (IPO), further boosting the kingdom’s recent surge of share sales. Alamar said it will be listing its ordinary shares on the Saudi Exchange’s Main Market, following approval by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) for the […] June 13, 2022
Retail Saudi PIF ‘shortlisted as bidder for stake in Starbucks MENA’ Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been shortlisted to buy a stake in the Middle East, North Africa and central Asia Starbucks franchise held by Alshaya Group, according to two sources. The franchise has several hundred coffee shops in 14 countries across the Middle East, Russia and central Asia. Kuwait-based Alshaya Group, the region’s […] June 6, 2022
Analysis Food & Drink Saudis want the world to wake up and smell their coffee Did Arabica coffee originate in Arabia? Many say it hails from Ethiopia and then spread to Yemen and the rest of the Middle East. As coffee experts and aficionados continue to debate its history, Saudi Arabia is working to put a new stamp on the industry. Saudi Arabia has named 2022 the year of Saudi […] May 31, 2022
Lifestyle Supermodel Tyra Banks to launch ice cream brand in Abu Dhabi Californian supermodel Tyra Banks has picked Abu Dhabi as the first international market outside the US to launch her global ice cream brand, Smize Cream, as part of a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). The 48-year-old entrepreneur made the announcement at the Access Granted talk series on Thursday, adding that she was […] May 27, 2022
Food & Drink Alcohol is not on the menu in Saudi, says tourism official Saudi Arabia has no plans to legalise the sale of alcohol in the kingdom, a senior tourism official confirmed this week at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. “The short answer is that we’re going to continue with our current laws,” assistant minister of tourism Princess Haifa bint Mohammed said during a session yesterday. […] May 26, 2022
Insight Food & Drink Ukraine war drives Gulf to double down on food security As the war in Ukraine has pushed up food prices and disrupted supply chains, hard-hit Mena countries explore ways to protect themselves In Abu Dhabi clusters of fresh tomatoes are growing inside rows of climate-controlled greenhouses in the middle of the desert – just one example of the lengths the arid region must go to […] May 12, 2022
Employment Food drivers stage walk-out over pay inspired by Deliveroo Foreign food delivery workers in the United Arab Emirates staged a mass walk-out yesterday, calling for better pay and working conditions in a rare instance of industrial action in the country. The strike follows similar action this month in which foreign workers forced another company to suspend plans to cut pay. In the latest episode, […] May 10, 2022
Tourism Could alcohol be allowed at Saudi’s NEOM? The issue of legalising the sale of alcohol in Saudi Arabia is “not off the table”, according to a senior executive from one of the kingdom’s most high profile giga projects. “On alcohol, Saudi has a view NEOM will be its own authority, that’s not off the table,” Andrew McEvoy, managing director tourism at NEOM, […] May 10, 2022
EXCLUSIVE Tech Abu Dhabi is harvesting technology to drive a farming revolution The Gulf region has historically imported around 90 percent of its food requirements, constrained by arid soils, scarce water resources and searing temperatures. But concerns about the impact of climate change on food production, coupled with the recent coronavirus-induced global supply chain crisis, are forcing governments to rethink food security. Technology solutions Abu Dhabi has […] May 9, 2022
Employment Deliveroo backs off plan to cut pay of UAE riders after strike Delivery service Deliveroo on Monday put on hold plans to cut pay and extend working hours for its drivers in the United Arab Emirates after a rare strike over the weekend. The Amazon-backed company said in an email to restaurants, seen by Reuters, that it had paused proposed changes in its rider pay structure and […] May 3, 2022
Food & Drink Upside Foods valued at $1bn from Abu Dhabi funding Upside Foods has raised $400 million in a funding round led by Temasek and Abu Dhabi Growth Fund, valuing the cultivated meat company at over $1 billion, the company said on Thursday. SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Synthesis Capital are among the investors who took part in the latest round, bringing the company’s total capital […] May 3, 2022
Tech UAE agtech Right Farm raises $2.8m from investors Right Farm, a United Arab Emirates agriculture technology firm, said on Monday it raised $2.8 million from investors including Abu Dhabi state holding company ADQ’s venture platform. The company is a business to business digital platform which sources fresh produce from local and international farms for the food and retail sector. Right Farm said in […] April 28, 2022
