Bottled water consumption in the GCC will rise by 50% to more than 21 billion litres by 2020, according to a report from the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC).
The United Arab Emirates chocolate market is one of the fastest growing chocolate markets across the globe as big players such as Mars and Nestlé up their investment and others eye entry, according to TechSci Research.
The global Halal food market will be worth US$1.6tn by 2018, up from US$1.1tn in 2013, according to a report commissioned by Dubai Chamber of Commerce.
Abu Dhabi’s Agthia Group announces a first-half profit of US$28.5m, up 21% year-on-year, but says its consumer food division lost US$3.9m in the period.
Sharjah food producer Delta Food will invest US$11m in expanding its facilities in the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) to drive expansion into new markets.
Growing non-GCC sales lifted the profits of Dubai’s Al Islami Foods, pushing it to triple production with a new factory, the firm announced in its annual results.
Governments across the Middle East are trying to enforce price controls on food staples ahead of Ramadan, as consumers report price rises of up to 40%.
The UAE’s Saif Al Khaili Group has signed up to build a food processing facility in Abu Dhabi Ports’ Kizad Food Cluster, as part of a major industrial project, Kizad has announced.
Italian food exports to the GCC were up 21% in 2013, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia leading the growth and sales, according to figures from Italian food export organisation Cibus.
Brazilian food processor Marfrig is planning to set up its first factory in the Middle East within the next five years, with Saudi Arabia the most likely location.
Qatar has created a farmers’ association, backed by the Ministry of Economy and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), to promote agricultural development in the country.
The Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza) is courting Brazilian companies as it promotes its new Halal zones on a promotional tour of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Non-stick coating bakeware specialist FBS Prestige has seen phenomenal demand from the Middle East as the country’s bakery sector evolves, its CEO and chairman says.
Any further escalation in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine could have a serious and adverse impact on the food supply situation in the Middle East, including countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to the World Bank.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gulf food giant Americana is negotiating with Brazilian producer BRF on a possible “strategic collaboration” in the Middle East, according to a filing with the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Middle East is now increasingly shunning live imports of cattle and sheep and demanding high value cuts of red meat, say exporters from India and Australia.
Gluten-free major Genuis is suitably busy with an ambitious international expansion plan as it moves into the United Arab Emirates (UAE), its commercial director says.
The Middle East flexible packaging market is set to grow by 4.3% a year over the next five years, up from 2.5% according to a new report from PCI Films Consulting.
The Middle East’s non-alcoholic beer market is ripe for beverage makers to tap into, provided they continue to innovate to adapt to the vagaries of the region’s culture and Islam-dominated societies, an expert said.
McDonald’s has said it will strive toward the development of harmonised halal standards across the Middle East, as it reaffirmed its commitment to various requirements in place.
Dragons’ Den winners Helen and Lisa Tse – the driving force behind Chinese sauce manufacturer and Manchester restaurant Sweet Mandarin – have thanked Prime Minister David Cameron, after he helped them win an export deal with China worth £6M over the next...
Earlier this year, Oman embarked on one of the most ambitious food production projects in the Middle East when it announced plans to invest US$1.29bn in fisheries development from 2013 to 2020.
FoodNavigator speaks exclusively to Tim Ansell, Sales Director of UAE-based Al Thika Packaging LLC about the state of the market and what we’ll all be unwrapping in the future.
The first Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA) is set to take place in Abu Dhabi early next year, aiming to turn the spotlight on the future of agriculture in the region.
