Dubai's Culinary Landscape Flourishes With Over 26,000 Food Establishments

Dubai Municipality has recently announced a significant milestone in the emirate's food and beverage (F&B) sector, revealing that Dubai is home to over 26,000 food establishments. This announcement was made during the 29th edition of Gulfood 2024, the world's largest annual global F&B sourcing event, which kicked off today at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Sultan Al Taher, Director of Food Safety at Dubai Municipality, shared with the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that Dubai annually imports 8 million tonnes of food through its various ports. These imports undergo rigorous inspection and control to ensure safety and quality. Al Taher emphasized that nearly 90% of all F&B imports destined for the UAE are processed through Dubai, highlighting the emirate's pivotal role in the nation's food security.

The participation of Dubai Municipality in Gulfood underscores its commitment to bolstering a sustainable food system within the emirate. This aligns with the objectives of Dubai's Food Security Strategy. Al Taher pointed out that Gulfood serves as a vital platform for connecting leading F&B producers and suppliers worldwide, facilitating the exchange of experiences and insights into global trends, future directions, and the latest developments in the industry.

Al Taher also shed light on the Dubai Municipality Food Excellence Program (DM Food Elite), designed to acknowledge food establishments that demonstrate excellence in food safety, nutrition standards, environmental sustainability, social responsibility, innovation, and digitisation. This initiative is part of Dubai Municipality's strategic efforts to construct a sustainable food system that ensures the ongoing safety and sustainability of food systems, contributing to making Dubai more sustainable every day.

During its participation in Gulfood, Dubai Municipality is showcasing its integrated digital services aimed at enhancing the food sector in Dubai. These services include streamlining import and export procedures, registering food products and shipments, and enabling stakeholders in the food industry to stay updated with the latest safety standards, food specifications, and environmental sustainability practices.

This engagement at Gulfood 2024 not only highlights Dubai Municipality's dedication to advancing the emirate's F&B sector but also reinforces its role in supporting Dubai's vision for food security and sustainability.

With inputs from WAM