Fears are mounting that a big chunk of India’s food exports would be hit after suggestions emerged that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would halt billions of dollars of imports because of issues surrounding quality.
Thai Coco says demand for coconut water and other coconut-based products is growing in the Middle East, with supermarkets increasingly listing new products, and consumer awareness on the rise.
It will soon be mandatory for all foods entering the UAE to be registered on a new federal portal that has been launched by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and Dubai Municipality.
Better cold chain infrastructure is boosting consumer preferences for frozen processed halal meat and poultry, cold drinks and flavoured milks across the Middle East — a region that is being tipped to drive industry growth to 2030.
This year’s Gulfood show takes place against the backdrop of rising regional investment in food production, with international manufacturers increasingly seeing the Middle East as a lucrative market for their goods.
Cargill has made its first investment in Saudi Arabia with the opening of a joint-venture corn milling facility to increase supplies to the Gulf’s food and beverage firms.
Cargill and ARASCO have inaugurated a new corn mill in Saudi Arabia to meet the growing demand of the region’s fast-growing food and beverage industry.
A Gulf-wide goods and services tax that will come into effect next year has been one of the main talking points among companies exhibiting at Gulfood Manufacturing this year, with its ripple effect likely to impact business in the food industry.
Global ingredients and flavours company Kerry Group is helping the world’s largest halal meat business, Brazil’s BRF, launch clean-label meat products.
New estimates suggest that the Middle East will consume nearly 60m tonnes of food annually by 2050 due to soaring population growth, putting pressure on governments to find ways to secure their supplies.
Gulf food processing is among the key sectors ripe for investment as India continues to strengthen its historic economic ties with the GCC, according to a new report by Alpen Capital.
Qatar's government might have succeeded in reducing the impact of economic sanctions placed on it by other Arab countries after official figures reported that food price inflation had eased during August.
Health inspectors uncovered more than 1,300 tonnes of rotten fruit, vegetables, meat and being sold at unlicensed markets to poor residents in Dubai in the first half of this year.
UK-based firm Haloodies will start exporting meat snacks to United Arab Emirates (UAE) supermarkets as part of a big push to become a global halal brand.
Dubai’s first dedicated food park will be built at a cost of AED5.5m (US$1.5m) and incorporate a mix of government infrastructure, warehousing and manufacturing facilities.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has clarified that what was perceived as a multinational blockade of Qatar is actually a boycott, and stated that his country is willing to provide food aid if needed.
Patchi has begun work on a new 122,000 square-foot chocolate manufacturing facility in Dubai to serve as a “springboard” into regional and overseas markets when it opens in 18 months.
Merger activity in the UAE’s food and beverage segment, which surged by US$3bn in 2016, is expected to remain strong this year, albeit after a slow start.
Business in the Gulf will bounce back after years of poor performance in the wake of collapsed oil prices, the world’s biggest food group’s regional chief has predicted while opened a third plant in Dubai.
Dubai’s Pegasus Agriculture Group, which owns various hydroponic farming facilities in the Middle East and North Africa, has established a futures fund to focus on food security.
Despite “challenging” times in its home market, Vimto manufacturer Nichols is expecting another strong performance during the Ramadan season in the Middle East.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned a number of live bird and poultry product imports from Croatia, following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
A Maori cultural delegation has inaugurated kiwifruit exporter Zespri’s new office in Dubai, which will oversee the firm’s expansion in the Middle East and other developing markets.
Companies will not shoulder the increased cost of a selective tax that could increase the price of soft drinks by half once it is introduced in six Gulf countries.
Russian meat company Miratorg wants to see its export revenue rise to as much as $100m this year, and a major product push at a Chinese trade show is underway to satisfy this ambition.
Increasing the shelf life of halal products is the single factor that could help Japanese firms boost sales to the Middle East, and in turn help meet the government’s 1 trillion yen target for food exports by 2019.
Premium Irish beef has benefited from government support in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, helped secure endorsement from one of Dubai’s top chefs.
The UAE has placed food security at the top of its policy priorities and will strive to deliver the “highest possible rates” of sustainability, according to a senior official.
One of the world’s largest exporters of poultry BRF – which operates a factory in the UK – has launched a subsidiary to target the growing halal processed foods market in the Middle East.
UAE officials have been applauding themselves for the great strides the country has made by improving its food-safety index rating by a quarter in just three years.
Experts have urged Gulf states to look to an Andean super-food beloved of hipsters as a staple crop at a time when groundwater supplies are shrinking and becoming more saline.
Companies must embrace sustainability as a long-term business value, especially in the Middle East, as global trends move towards fast-shifting trading patterns in the F&B industry.
