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
Transport 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 […] November 9, 2023
Agriculture 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 […] October 31, 2023
Video length: 03:47 VIDEO Food & Drink 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 […] October 16, 2023
Analysis Finance 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 […] October 8, 2023
Video length: 01:23 Exclusive Food & Drink Talented Emiratis don’t have appetite for food-related jobs Working in the UAE’s food and agriculture businesses is not “very attractive” for Emirati students and the industry must do more to attract local talent, according to the chief of a Dubai Chamber-run food entity. “Nationals don’t even represent two percent of the overall workforce in the food sector,” Saleh Lootah, chairman of the F&B […] September 28, 2023
Opinion Leisure & Hospitality Gaia shouts ‘Made in Dubai’ at the world Gaia could be a rare phenomenon: a brand native to Dubai and the Middle East that goes global September 15, 2023
Food & Drink 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. […] August 28, 2023
Agriculture 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 […] August 22, 2023
Food & Drink 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 […] August 10, 2023
Finance 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 […] August 9, 2023
Video length: 04:13 Food & Drink 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 […] August 8, 2023
Food & Drink 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 […] August 3, 2023
