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.
Ethiopia’s large livestock industry is set to undergo a shake-up following a new livestock trading bill, passed on 21 January. The new law, due to be enforced in March, is designed to tighten Ethiopia’s livestock market, increasing its efficiency and...
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.
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.
Food and beverage companies must take note of the growing awareness of diabetes in the Middle East if they want to truly tap the market to its full potential.
Food security in the Middle East could be under threat due to continuing political instability in the region, according to a report from Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
At the end of October, Ireland’s dairy sector finally flexed its muscles in the Middle East dairy market when the Irish Dairy Board Cooperative (IDB) announced a €20m investment in Saudi Arabia.
Global ingredients and flavours company Kerry Group is the latest to step into the Middle East, in line with recent studies showing growing consumer demand for processed foods across the region.
The blossoming links between Ireland and the Middle East have been under the spotlight this week, as the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, leads a week-long trade mission to the Gulf States of the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia,...
Food plays a huge role in Middle Eastern society, from celebrations to hospitality and pleasure pastimes, and consumer demand is booming across the region.
The process of enforcing Saudi Arabia’s aim of employing more nationals in the private sector has had an unexpected effect on the Haj food industry this year.
The gradual opening up of Saudi Arabia to the world in social and political terms may also be helping to open the country’s food and beverage market to keen processors.
UAE’s proposed federal food safety law may be a game changer for food and beverage exporters long hassled by having to deal with all emirates separately.
The Emirate of Dubai has taken to the show circuit in an effort to narrow the gap between its food imports and exports, as nearly all of its annual food requirements are imported from overseas.
Hotpack Packaging Industries has announced it will expand its operations in the UAE with a $27.2m integrated manufacturing and logistics unit in Dubai, as sales of disposable-packaged food continue to grow in the Gulf.
The Campbell Soup Company has agreed to sell its European simple meals business to private equity firm CVC for €400m, but is retaining its largest and fastest-growing elements.
Ireland’s agriculture minister has welcomed a decision by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Food Safety Committee to officially lift bans on exports of Irish beef and sheepmeat to the GCC region.
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China is home to 10% of the country’s 20m Muslims. While by no means does it have a majority Muslim population, the strong Islamic tradition by the ethnic Hui people of this Silk Road region dates back to its...
Australia recorded record red meat exports to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) last month, according to the latest figures from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).
Chocolate is the fastest growing UK food export driven by a rise in sales to the Middle East and Africa and factory expansion by Nestlé, according to a report from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).
Britain’s food and drink exports are remaining resilient during the recession – with total UK food and non-alcoholic drink exports for last year maintaining their value of £12.1bn, according to the Food and and Drink Federation (FDF).
Understanding and adapting to Middle Eastern consumer needs is crucial for introducing new brands in the region, according to food distributor Federal Foods.
FoodNavigator was among the hordes at Gulfood in Dubai this week, joining a huge international crowd, which squeezed its way past stands from 110 countries over the past four days.
Zeelandia is a Dutch bakery ingredients supplier with more than 20 years’ experience in the Middle East. FoodNavigator asks about the challenges it has had to overcome to achieve market success in the region.
Teams from both the European and Asian editions of FoodNavigator are on the ground at Gulfood 2013 in Dubai, a food, processing, packaging and ingredients show which, according to its blurb, claims to be the biggest in the world.
Mondelez is expanding in the Middle East having recently signed a joint venture in Saudi Arabia last week. ConfectioneryNews.com asks the industry giant if halal certification and alcohol-free labeling have been factored into its growth plans.