Food & Drink Mubadala-backed Getir buys fast grocery rival in $1.2bn deal Turkish delivery company Getir has bought German rival Gorillas in a deal worth $1.2 billion that will merge two of the remaining companies in Europe promising groceries in minutes. Serkan Borancili, who founded Istanbul-based Getir in 2015, shared the price tag on Twitter on Friday and said the combined company was now stronger. The deal […] December 12, 2022
Exclusive Tech Irish aviation tycoon to help grow Gulf agtech startup Irish entrepreneur Dómhnal Slattery, best known for scaling companies in the aviation sector, has been appointed a special adviser to one of the Gulf’s biggest startups, and is open to more potential investments in the region. Pure Harvest Smart Farms, the agtech startup based in Abu Dhabi, in July raised $180 million in funding from […] December 12, 2022
Food & Drink Saudi prince backs US lamb-flavoured plant startup KBW Ventures, the venture capital firm founded by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed, was one of the prime investors in a $12.3 million fundraising round by a San Francisco-based foodtech startup developing plant-based meat products that taste like lamb. Founded in 2019, Black Sheep Foods also attracted investment from other US-based plant-based venture veterans […] December 9, 2022
Analysis Tech Gulf reaches for vertical farming to bolster food security A joint venture has been set up to develop a network of indoor vertical farms across Saudi Arabia as GCC governments seek to reduce their reliance on imported food. Mowreq Specialised Agriculture Co and biotech firm YesHealth Group have founded Vertical Farms Company, which will begin by building the kingdom’s largest indoor vertical farm in Riyadh. The […] December 7, 2022
Markets KFC Mena franchisee generates $105bn in orders for dual IPO Americana Restaurants, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of KFC and Pizza Hut, has set the final offer price for its upcoming initial public offering at $0.71 per share in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the UAE state-owned WAM news agency reported. The dual listing on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and the […] November 29, 2022
Tech Vertical saffron farm spices up UAE’s agtech sector Agtech company Veggitech opened the first vertical saffron farm in Sharjah this summer, with the harvest of the expensive spice, known as red gold, peaking at the end of November. The UAE saffron farm is the largest in the Middle East and North African region, spanning only 165 square metres but equivalent to 3.5 hectares […] November 28, 2022
Food & Drink Coffee Planet using its waste to help turn desert into fertile soil A partnership between Dubai-based coffee shop company Coffee Planet and sustainability startup The Waste Lab is helping to turn parts of the desert into arable soil. Desert soil is not completely unusable, but it lacks the organic matter needed to grow crops or vegetation. Coffee shops, meanwhile, have an abundance of organic matter, in the […] November 27, 2022
Food & Drink Branded coffee shops expand across the Middle East The Middle East and North Africa’s (Mena) branded coffee shops market has grown 10.5 percent to 8,874 outlets in the past year. Saudi Arabia, which named 2022 the year of Saudi coffee, is the largest market in the region, growing 18.5 percent to reach 3,556 outlets and accounting for 40 percent of all stores in […] November 21, 2022
Business of Sport Budweiser campaign curbed, not crashed, by Qatar beer ban A last-minute decision to ban the sale of alcohol at Qatar’s World Cup stadiums will seriously limit Budweiser sales in the Gulf state, but will not derail its owner’s global campaign during the tournament, industry analysts said. Soccer world governing body FIFA’s announcement of the ban on Friday, just two days before the event kicks […] November 20, 2022
Food & Drink Beer to cost nearly $14 per half-litre at Qatar World Cup Half a litre of beer will cost QR 50 ($13.73) inside the main fan zone at the soccer World Cup in Qatar, a source with knowledge of alcohol sales at the tournament told Reuters. Major World Cup sponsor Budweiser has exclusive rights to sell beer at the finals and will serve its products at the […] November 16, 2022
Analysis Food & Drink PIF sets up company to make Saudi a global hub for halal Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is launching a new business, the Halal Products Development Company (HPDC), to support the production of halal goods in the kingdom. The PIF company, unveiled today, aims to make Saudi Arabia a major exporter of halal products including food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It also plans to drive innovation and efficiency […] October 24, 2022
Analysis Food & Drink Bean there, done that: Saudi takes coffee to US and Europe Saudi Arabia is targeting some of the world’s biggest cities as part of its campaign to promote the kingdom’s burgeoning coffee sector. The Ministry of Culture said it concluded a campaign this week to introduce Saudi coffee to New York, London, Rome and Paris as the country’s Year of Saudi Coffee 2022 initiative gathers pace. […] October 18, 2022
Trade UK drinks firms raise glass to Morocco and Tunisia trade deal British drinks companies have raised a glass after the UK removed trade barriers that deterred alcohol sales to Morocco and Tunisia. The changes in the countries, which extends to Argentina and Angola as well, will help the UK’s products to reach millions of new potential customers and boost alcohol exports, which reached £6.5 billion last […] October 17, 2022
Tourism Debating the Levantine origins of the falafel Falafels are gaining a mainstream following in Europe and can be found in supermarkets, restaurants, takeaways and street-food stalls everywhere. In UK cities alone, Go Falafel has grown into a chain with three outlets in Manchester, two in London and one in Liverpool. Dubai’s Operation: Falafel and Israeli pitta chain Miznon have recently opened in […] September 30, 2022
Food & Drink Five Guys to expand in the UAE Fast food chain Five Guys is gearing up to make its debut in Sharjah and Al Ain as it looks to build on its network of outlets across the UAE. The US burger brand is also planning to develop its cloud kitchen network which began in the UAE at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. […] September 29, 2022
How I got to the top Food & Drink Fernando Trocca, Masterchef Argentinian-born restaurateur Fernando Trocca is masterchef at Sucre, an international restaurant chain. Known for its open-fire cooking, the Latino eatery has repeatedly made its way onto the world’s 50 Best Latin American restaurants. A second location opened in London in 2021, and its newest dining space has just launched in Dubai International Financial Centre. What do you […] September 9, 2022
Analysis Food & Drink Gulf serves up locally farmed salmon – and better food security From the old man who dredged up a djinn to the boy who netted an emerald, fishermen populate the folk stories of the Arab world. But the dhow fleets of the Gulf no longer provide a lifeline for local economies. By contrast, aquaculture – the farming of fish, shellfish and aquatic plants – has begun […] August 23, 2022
Economy From chicken to weddings, Saudi prices continue to soar From meat and vegetables to the cost of events such as weddings, consumer prices in Saudi Arabia continue to rise, as inflation reached 2.7 percent year-on-year in July. The biggest increase was in the food and beverage segment, which rose 3.9 percent, mainly on the back of meat prices increasing 5.1 percent, the General Authority […] August 18, 2022
Exclusive Tech UAE agtech startup aims to disrupt $500bn fodder industry A UAE agtech startup is aiming to disrupt the $500 billion livestock feed industry, as prices rise on the back of supply chain disruptions caused by the Ukraine war. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations reported last week that, while the FAO Food Price Index declined 8.6 percent month-on-month in July […] August 17, 2022
Food & Drink Healthy fast food startups aim to tackle growing GCC obesity Following its success in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, health food eat-in and home delivery company Under500 is set to expand to Qatar. The firm’s low-calorie meals – served in franchised venues across the UAE and Saudi Arabia and via online delivery services such as Talabat and Deliveroo – are to be ordered by customers in Doha through delivery […] August 15, 2022
Analysis Food & Drink The sky’s the limit for cloud kitchens in the Gulf While many businesses suffered due to the coronavirus pandemic, cloud kitchens – companies that prepare food solely for home delivery without having sit-down restaurant space – were beneficiaries of the online ordering boom. The GCC has been a hotspot for this growth with companies including Sweetheart Kitchen, Kitopi, KLC Virtual Restaurants and kaykroo overseeing delivery […] August 12, 2022
Opinion Food & Drink Restaurateurs beware: diners may choke on your price rises The food and drink sector contends with fluctuations in both customer income and the cost of food, energy, and rent August 9, 2022
