The Saudi Arabian dairy food market is set to grow 6.7% a year to 2017, but water shortages and government pressure may force a shift to more imported dairy ingredients, according to a new report.
Private equity firm Abraaj Group has acquired a stake in Moroccan chocolate company Kool Food and plans to expand distribution in the Middle East and Africa.
The UAE’s new food safety law will see higher penalties for those found to be endangering food safety, according to the draft legislation presented this week by the country’s law makers.
Australian agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce led a delegation to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain this week to boost Australian agricultural trade with the region, following problems with live sheep imports.
The regional plastics industry must innovate and offer more value-added products in order to thrive in the food setors and others, an industry leader said this week.
Syria may be facing increasing food security threats as drought threatens this year's harvests, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said.
Brazilian food exports to the Middle East jumped significantly in 2013 to total a record US$5.3bn and 17bn tonnes, according to the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).
The Middle East gluten-free market is nascent but brimming with potential thanks to a young and wealthy consumer base increasingly interested in health and wellness, market experts say.
An Israeli company that has released a range of coffee alternatives made from roasted date kernel, says the waste material has potential as a sustainable food and drink ingredient stretching far beyond this initial creation.
Consumption of fresh food was strongest in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific in 2013, while the market for fresh food in Western Europe declined slightly, according to Euromonitor International.
Date palms are under significant threat from climate change and growing numbers of pests and pestilence, researchers have warned at an Abu Dhabi conference.
Oman plans to more than double its fishery production to 480,000 tonnes per year, increasing industry revenues to US$1.9bn, according to a government minister.
Ethiopia and Somalia are both pushing to increase the level of food and agricultural foreign direct investment from GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) states.
The contribution of agriculture to Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product was last measured at 2.49% in 2010, according to the World Bank. Moreover, it is set to drop even lower once the country’s cultivation of wheat is phased out by 2016.
When it is said that a cow should consume three litres of water for every litre of milk it produces, how is arid and water-starved Saudi Arabic able to command a place in the world’s top 10 dairy producers, while still producing its milk sustainably?
Pakistan’s food exports to the UAE could potentially triple to US$1.2bn from last year’s US$400m because of local demand for the country’s products, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, Asif Durrani, said at Gulfood earlier this month.
The order given by Dubai’s ruling sheikh in 1959 to dredge the Creek, the water channel that flows into the heart of what was at the time a sleepy fishing village, is commonly seen as the move that would transform the Gulf state into an economic powerhouse.
Along with the camel and the world’s highest tower, the humble date is one of the most enduring icons of the UAE, and soon it will be recognised for its importance to international agriculture.
Indian speciality rice major Amira Nature Foods has announced plans to enter the UAE’s organic food market as it focuses on gaining a larger market share across the wider Middle region.
UAE firms Spinneys Dubai and the National Food Products Company (NFPC) are both set to establish new facilities in the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad), the zone announced.
Saudi Arabia and New Zealand have signed a protocol to allow livestock imports from New Zealand for breeding, with imports to start by the end of the year, a government minister has revealed.
The Middle East drinks industry is seeing significant investment, with Aujan spending in Egypt and Lebanon, and UK firm Rexam buying up a Saudi can manufacturer for US$122m.
Mondelez International will start producing more of its snack products in Saudi Arabia, as part of its programme to improve production efficiency, the firm has said.
Rising health awareness and the expansion of Middle East’s hotel industry is creating a growing demand for white tea, a key official at Sri Lankan tea maker Dilmah said.
tna sells its first intelli-flav 3 CLS into US and Iraq
Gluten-free and dairy-free are the new buzzwords in the Middle East’s bakery market, as consumers look for ‘healthier’ bakery products, industry sources have said.
The strife in Syria and the broader Arab upheaval means growing demand for fat blends among dairy manufacturers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), industry sources say.
Amid rumours that Saudi Arabia’s ban on the import of US beef could be lifted in April, small American beef producers say they have already ceded valuable ground to countries like Australia and Canada.
A rapidly aging population, a hot climate and clothing restrictions owing to Islam are making the Middle East the right kind of market for calcium-enriched mineral water, according to one German-based company.
MOVE FOLLOWS RECENT UAE STEP TO BAN SUPERSIZE SODAS
Saudi Arabia has banned energy drink advertising altogether and will limit their distribution and sale, while brands including Red Bull will now be forced to carry health warnings.
An Indian conglomerate and a Saudi prince have teamed up with plans to make Dubai a regional hub for basmati rice—the leading food imports from the subcontinent to the Middle East.
Vita Coco, the top-selling coconut water brand in the US and UK, is now entering the high-potential Middle East beverage market, one of its key executives has revealed.
Fish farming is the fastest-growing food industry sector in the region, and is set for a massive wave of investment in coming years, according to an agriculture industry expert.
Saudi Arabia is increasing its investments in Pakistan's food production sector, with the countries agreeing a number of deals following an intense period of high level diplomatic activity.
Malaysia is actively looking at the UAE as a gateway for entering the potentially high value halal markets in North Africa, Middle East and Europe, a top Malaysian government official revealed.
Currently the Middle East represents just over 3% of Brazilian confectionery exports, but potential far exceeds that, according to Brazil's industry trade association.
Mérieux NutriSciences has acquired an equity position in Inspection, Diagnosis and Analysis Lab Company (IDAC), which provides food testing services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Chr. Hansen and Kenyan firm Oleleshwa Enterprises have developed a number of camel cheese recipes for owners of the animal, including one for a soft, ripened cheese they call ‘Camelbert’.
The Middle East is grappling with a rise in non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, the roots of which are in a rise in obesity among its populace, a new study has found.
Regional food manufacturers have seen mixed results 2013, with Savola Group's earnings up 21% and Agthia up 28%, but dairy giant Almarai posting profits of just 4%.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is expanding its US$2bn Syrian programme, aiming to increase its reach within Syria and extend its food voucher programme for refugees.