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Food & Drink

Food & drink news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis

Consumer concern over food prices has boosted the rise of discount supermarkets in the UAE

Food inflation leads to rise of Gulf discount operators

Rising food costs in the Gulf over the last two years have spurred an increase in the number of discount operators entering the market.  The food and beverage category of the UAE’s consumer price index rose from 100.3 in 2021 to 107.5 in 2022, and is forecast to rise further to 111.8 in 2023, according […]

The UAE is looking at how to limit food wastage and the carbon impact of the food served at Cop28, said climate change and environment minister Mariam Almheiri

UAE refreshes strategy to reduce food waste by 50%

The UAE has launched an action plan to reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2030, minister of climate change and environment Mariam Almheiri said. At Cop28, which will be hosted in Dubai later this month, the UAE is prioritising the transformation of food and agricultural systems. Earlier this year, the Emirate launched the Cop28 […]

There are 400,000 coffee trees across Saudia Arabia, and 54,000 in the Jazan region alone

Saudi unveils next-gen coffee farm as ambitions percolate

Saudi Arabia has unveiled its first next-generation coffee farm in Jazan, home to the world-famous Coffea Arabica plant, as the kingdom looks to significantly increase production. Saudi Coffee Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, said the farm – spread across one million square metres – will act as a template for […]

Neo is set to start operations with a fleet of 100 two-wheelers across Dubai in December EV electric motorbike

Neo seeks $30m to drive ambitious EV plans

“Last-mile” logistics company Neo Mobility is launching in Dubai next month with a fleet of 100 electric two-wheeler vehicles. The company secured $10 million in pre-launch seed funding from investors including green asset financing platform Delta Corp Holding. It is now in talks to raise $30 million to finance growth plans which includes a vehicle […]

Baladna's dairy farming operation north of Doha houses more than 25,000 Holstein cows

Qatar food giant mulls $1.5bn Egypt dairy farming project

The largest dairy food producer in Qatar is exploring plans to invest up to $1.5 billion in a farming project in Egypt. Baladna, which is listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange, and the Suez Canal Authority have signed a memorandum of cooperation for the proposed development in Egypt’s south-west region. The farm would have 20,000 […]

Person, Market, Electronics Video length: 03:47

Why so much food is wasted in the UAE

The UAE aims to reduce food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030.  “There is not much time left so we are working with speed to meet those targets,” said Khuloud Hasan Al Nuwais, chief sustainability officer of Emirates Foundation, which runs the national food loss and waste initiative Ne’ma. Food waste in the […]

Whisky investors may be tempted to taste their purchases, but the real value grows when it is left in the bottle or barrel

Middle East whisky investors toast strong returns

Investors in rare whisky could be forgiven for raising a glass to the success of their investment over the past 10 years. Just maybe not using the expensive stuff. The latest Knight Frank Luxury Investments report revealed the value of rare whisky has soared by 322 percent in that time. That is a higher return […]

UAE food waste

HeroGo steps up fight against ‘ugly’ food waste

HeroGo, an online delivery service for “ugly” or surplus produce, is planning to cut food waste beyond the UAE via partnerships with supermarkets and hotels, its founder reveals.  “To have the biggest impact we need to be in multiple markets, so we’re in talks to expand in the near term,” HeroGo’s Daniel Solomon tells AGBI.  […]

India's onion harvest was hit by poor rainfall, so its government moved to protect domestic supply

Gulf’s many-layered reaction to India’s new onion export tax

Omani farmers could be one of the few beneficiaries of India’s decision to impose a 40 percent export duty on onions, while UAE restaurateurs are bracing for another hike in food costs. India is the world’s biggest exporter of onions, but a lack of rain this summer has affected harvests and prices have already risen […]

Talabat delivery drivers at a rest station. The company is owned by German conglomerate Delivery Hero

Delivery Hero reports Mena revenue surge

Germany’s Delivery Hero has reported a rise of almost 25 percent in second-quarter revenue from its operations in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. The company said strong customer demand resulted in second-quarter Mena revenue rising 24.4 percent to €641 million ($706 million), up from €515 million a year earlier. The Berlin-based conglomerate […]

Saudi halal

Saudi’s investment fund gets taste of halal food market

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund aims to increase the kingdom’s share in the global halal food market, currently worth at least $2 trillion.  Halal Products Development Company, a PIF subsidiary launched in October 2022, signed an agreement with the Saudi Exports Development Authority to support companies targeting the halal market, as well as encourage local […]

Switch Foods' plant-based burgers Video length: 04:13

Supermarkets embrace UAE’s brand of plant-based meat

Switch Foods, the plant-based meat brand based in Abu Dhabi, is now available at 133 stores across the UAE as the Gulf’s appetite for alternative diets continues to grow. Consumers can now buy its products from retailers including Carrefour, Organic Food Café, Grandiose, Geant, Union Coop, Sharjah Coop, Al Maya, Abella and Spinneys. Online purchases […]

Americana announced a dividend of $130m and an additional one-time special dividend of $50m, subject to shareholders' approval

KFC Mena franchisee’s H1 profit rises 19% to $145m

The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) franchisee of fast-food restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut, has reported net profit of $144.8 million for the first half of 2023. Americana Restaurants International Plc said this represented a yearly increase of 19.4 percent. Revenue increased 7.8 percent to $1.24 billion in the first six months, compared to […]

Workers in rice field

UAE restaurants feel the squeeze from rice restrictions

The UAE has banned the export of rice for four months, and while most restaurant owners have sufficient excess stock in place, some are concerned supply chain disruptions will lead to increased costs. The Gulf state said the ban will cover rice of all varieties, including brown rice, fully or partially milled rice and broken […]

An olive harvester at work in Gafsa, Tunisia. Exports to the EU are expected to increase this year

North Africa to the rescue as Europe’s olive oil dries up

A caesar salad may be the ideal light meal on a summer’s day, but you might have noticed it is weighing heavier on your wallet. That is because the price of olive oil is at an all-time high. Prices have jumped by nearly 80 percent in just one year, according to data from YCharts.  European […]

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri

Cop28 urges nations to put food at heart of climate action

The UAE has called on governments around the world to put food at the centre of their climate-change agendas. Speaking at the UN Food Systems Summit in Rome on Monday, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, the UAE’s minister of climate change and the environment and Cop28 food systems lead, invited governments to sign the Leaders Declaration […]

Poultry Saudi Arabia

PIF unit buys $339m stake in Brazilian food processor

A subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has invested in Brazilian food processor BRF as part of its drive to boost food security in the kingdom. Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (Salic) has acquired 180 million equity shares in BRF, representing 10.7 percent of the company’s outstanding shares, for SAR1.27 billion ($338.77 million). The […]

MMI's stores have reported double-digital sales growth since Dubai's alcohol tax cut

Dubai alcohol tax cut saving swallowed by most venues

Six months after Dubai suspended its 30 percent sales tax on alcohol, most hospitality venues have not passed on savings to consumers – but retailers have, driving up sales. Mike Glen, managing director at Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI), one of the main alcohol distributors in the emirate, estimates that only around 30 percent of […]