Food & Drink Morocco gets $188m to build three desalinisation plants Moroccan fertiliser company OCP Group has secured $188 million worth of funding to build three new seawater desalinisation plants as part of the government’s emergency plan for drinking water supply. The state-backed company signed an agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund its green investment programme. The construction of the new desalinisation plants […] February 21, 2024
Food & Drink UAE diners eat local as global fast food faces boycott Homegrown restaurants in the UAE are reporting a lift in sales since the start of the Israel-Gaza conflict, as diners opt for local brands over international fast-food outlets. Steve Flawith, founder of UAE-based Yolk Brands that operates the Pickl and BonBird chains, said its sales have increased by 15 to 20 percent since the start […] February 19, 2024
Food & Drink Americana 2023 revenue rises on 300 new store openings Americana Restaurants, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut, said it will remain focused on growth and market penetration after opening a record 300 new stores last year. The new stores pushed revenue at Americana to $2.4 billion in 2023, a gain of 1.5 percent year on year. […] February 15, 2024
Trade Maharashtra plans food security corridor with UAE The central Indian state of Maharashtra is working to develop a food security corridor with the UAE. The government of Maharashtra, which has 11 million farmers, has linked up with US fund manager Pegasus Capital Advisors for the food trade project. Under their agreement, the Maharashtra authorities will share an operational plan within three months, […] February 14, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Tanmiah Food’s 2023 profit falls 59% on pricing pressure Saudi-listed Tanmiah Food Company’s net profit for 2023 fell 59 percent year on year to SAR75.9 million ($20.24 million) on lower subsidy payout, increasing pricing pressure, and continued expansion of fresh poultry and Popeyes stores. Revenues rose 21 percent to SAR2.09 billion last year, primarily due to increased sales volumes, enhanced geographical coverage and channel […] February 11, 2024
Opinion Leisure & Hospitality A pleasant stroll through The Village, Dubai-style If you were to stop at each restaurant, bar or hotel along the way, a week would not be enough February 9, 2024
Food & Drink Kuwait’s Alshaya in talks to sell Starbucks stake Kuwait’s Alshaya Group is in talks to sell a minority stake in its regional Starbucks business that covers the Middle East, North Africa and central Asia, according to reports. The Kuwaiti retailer operates 70 brands in 4,000 stores across 18 countries. This includes the franchise for Starbucks, with 2,000 stores in 17 countries. US private […] February 9, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Neom aquaculture venture seeks fish self-sufficiency Saudi Arabia’s mega-project Neom has set up a joint aquaculture venture with Tabuk Fisheries Company of Riyadh to meet the kingdom’s goal of producing 600,000 tonnes of fish products annually by 2030. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding in 2021 to set up Topian Aquaculture. The new venture will include a hatchery that is […] February 7, 2024
Food & Drink Air corridor for Abu Dhabi aims to support food security Abu Dhabi is planning to establish an air corridor for perishable goods in a bid to develop new trade routes and support the UAE’s food security efforts. Etihad Cargo, Abu Dhabi Airports and Abu Dhabi Food Hub – Kezad have signed a tri-party memorandum of understanding. Abu Dhabi Food Hub is the country’s first dedicated […] February 5, 2024
Food & Drink Dubai drinks supplier raises a glass to Dry January Drink Dry, a Dubai-based supplier of non-alcoholic beverages, has reported a 20 percent bump in sales during Dry January, defying a traditional post-festive period slump in the hospitality sector. Dry January is an initiative launched in the UK by Alcohol Change in 2013. It involves consumers abstaining from alcohol for the first month of the […] January 31, 2024
Analysis Agriculture UAE in talks to buy more African land to aid food security The UAE has 14 land acquisition deals in the pipeline, mainly in Africa, as it looks to keep food security high on its policy agenda. It has already signed 56 land agreements, with the first completed more than 50 years ago in Sudan. The 14 deals are subject to either an expression of interest, a […] January 31, 2024
People & Lifestyle Saudi to open alcohol store for non-Muslim diplomats Saudi Arabia will open its first alcohol store in Riyadh that will be available exclusively to non-Muslim diplomats, according to several media reports. Customers will have to register through a mobile app, get a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly purchase quotas, Reuters reported, citing a document. The foreign affairs ministry is […] January 25, 2024
Food & Drink $203m Neom catering contract goes to Alhokair A contract worth SAR760 million ($203 million) to provide catering services at the futuristic city Neom in northwest Saudi Arabia has been awarded to the Saudi hotel operator Abdulmohsen Alhokair Group for Tourism and Development. Alhokair, which runs 92 entertainment centres and 35 hotels in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, said in a statement on […] January 22, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Dubai hospitality thrives despite rising costs Dubai’s hospitality industry reported a strong end to the year despite global economic turbulence and geopolitical concerns in the region. According to the latest headline S&P Global Dubai Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), the emirate’s non-oil private sector posted its best performance for 16 months in December, buoyed by strong sales in wholesale and retail and […] January 10, 2024
Food & Drink Abu Dhabi plans seat at world’s culinary top table Work has begun on the infrastructure for a huge new food hub in Abu Dhabi, while plans have been revealed for the UAE’s first Le Cordon Bleu Institute. The 3.3sq km Abu Dhabi Food Hub is being developed at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi, as the emirate seeks a place at the world’s top table […] January 7, 2024
Food & Drink Vegan meals take off on Emirates Dubai’s Emirates reported a 40 percent increase in demand for vegan meals across its network of 140 routes in 2023, and has plans to add more plant-based catering options in 2024. The airline served 450,000 plant-based meals on board last year, up from 280,000 in 2022. The biggest rise in demand was on routes to […] January 5, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Saudi’s Jadwa buys Dubai-based owner of Allo Beirut Saudi Arabia’s Jadwa Investment has acquired the Dubai-based food and beverage operator Black Spoon Group. The Riyadh-headquartered investment management and advisory firm acquired 100 percent of Black Spoon through its food and beverage opportunities fund. Black Spoon’s portfolio comprises 10 branches across three popular restaurant chains in the UAE, including its Lebanese casual dining flagship […] December 19, 2023
Food & Drink Think Jeddah, think fish For generations of pilgrims travelling to Mecca and Medina, the thriving port city of Jeddah on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast is known as the gateway to the two Holy Mosques. With protein and nutrition comes strength and in the harsh conditions of Arabia it’s the fittest and strongest who thrive. No wonder then that […] December 18, 2023
Food & Drink Region’s first brewery to open in Abu Dhabi A brewery is opening in Abu Dhabi this month, becoming the first to take advantage of relaxed alcohol laws in the emirate. A licence has been granted to Craft by Side Hustle, a restaurant with a fully operational brewery on site. It will have the capacity to produce 25,000 pints of beer a month. “We’re […] December 12, 2023
Retail 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 […] December 2, 2023
Agriculture 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 […] November 20, 2023
Agriculture 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 […] November 10, 2023
