Green Queen Gulf Vol.3

Welcome to the third edition of Green Queen Gulf, powered by NUOS.

After spending a week in Dubai for the Dubai Future Forum, I could not be more convinced that the Gulf is where the future is happening— read more about the vision of Khalfan Belhoul, the Dubai Future Foundation CEO. The city is dazzling in its bustle, its buzz and its international-ness. As many people said to me, it feels like Hong Kong did in the 80s, or as I like to say, the Middle East is the new Far East. The museums, the conferences, the architecture, the art, the restaurants, the innovation- the world’s brightest are all there trying to build the future. Of course, this is a slightly biased view, as I spent my time surrounded by the world’s leading futurists, but what’s sure is how invested the city’s leadership is in pursuing innovation and sustainability. One point of difference that stands out: unlike cities like other global hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore, 80% of Dubai’s population is from all over the world, and that diversity of culture, thought and talent is felt. The world’s richest are there too- the UAE’s financial wealth grew by 10% in 2024. As a fellow forum attendee said to me: “more money, more opportunity”. Wise words!

It’s our last edition of the year so we wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for supporting this newsletter. We will be back on January 7th, a few days later than usual, as the team will be off for the holidays. Wishing you and yours a joyful festive season and see you in 2025. And remember, if you like what you read, share it. 

Regional Roundup: Top Agrifood News

Each month, we'll bring you our roundup of the top news from the region, from funding to new product launches and climate initiatives. Highlights this month include $2 billion of investments into sustainable technologies in Oman, vertical farm tours in Dubai, and collaborative efforts towards the future of food.

UAE-based F&B group Epik Foods secured US$15.5 million from Ruya Private Capital I LP. It manages over 60 brands across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, that integrate dine-in, catering, and meal plans.

Dubai announced a budget of AED 750 million for the next phase of its R&D program, aiming to position the emirate as a global leader in innovation by 2033 and add AED 20 billion annually to the economy. The Dubai Executive Council also introduced three key strategies: boosting resilience to challenges, securing a sustainable food supply, and modernising the justice system.

Food Tech Valley, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has established strategic partnerships with international investors and leading agricultural companies, including Badia Farms, Spinneys, French Bakery, and Golden Leaf Farm, to support the UAE's National Food Security Strategy 2051 and the "Plant the Emirates" program, establishing a collaborative model for tackling global food security challenges. 

Future Fund Oman, established by the Oman Investment Authority, has announced its first set of investment projects totalling over $2 billion. These projects span ten sectors—including technology, manufacturing, agriculture, renewable energy, and electric vehicles—and are expected to create more than 1,600 direct jobs, marking a significant step in Oman's economic diversification and development strategy.

In agricultural innovation, Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri recently hosted Bill Gates to review progress on their joint $200 million agricultural innovation initiative launched during COP28. Projects like the CGIAR AI Hub and AgriLLM not only leverage AI to support smallholder farmers but also reflect the UAE’s emphasis on merging technology with traditional agriculture to ensure long-term resilience. Similarly, the EUROPEAN RICE campaign advances the conversation on sustainable farming, introducing eco-friendly practices like advanced irrigation and biodiversity preservation while reinforcing the UAE’s role as a destination for responsibly sourced, high-quality produce.

UNS Vertical Farms has introduced educational farm tours in Dubai to highlight the potential of urban agriculture, inspire sustainable food choices and showcase scalable solutions to regional food security. 

Egypt's agricultural exports increased by approximately $1 billion in the first ten months of 2024, reaching a total value of $4.1 billion, a year-on-year growth of about 33%, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. This surge was driven by higher production of citrus fruits, particularly oranges, and the expansion into new markets, including the recent entry into Vietnam for grape exports.

UAE-based online grocery store Kibsons is phasing out its iconic blue cardboard delivery boxes due to a low recycling return rate, transitioning instead to reusable delivery crates and recyclable packaging to reduce environmental impact—an initiative projected to save over 2,000 trees monthly. 

In Saudi Arabia, the launch of Milaf Cola, a date-based beverage developed under the #MadeinSaudiArabia initiative, encapsulates the Vision 2030 goal of fostering homegrown, sustainable innovation and addressing global challenges with local solutions.

Sirocco, a joint venture between Heineken and Maritime and Mercantile International, plans to construct Dubai's first major commercial brewery, aligning with the emirate's recent liberalisation of alcohol regulations to boost tourism. The brewery is designed with sustainability in mind, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint by minimising sea freight.

Dubai’s culinary scene is undergoing a “cultural renaissance”, where restaurants like Orfali Bros Bistro and 11 Woodfire redefine fine dining by combining local flavors with innovative techniques, elevating the city’s global culinary reputation.

The 9th UN Tourism World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism showcased the role of food in bridging cultures and promoting sustainability, with Bahraini chefs leading the way. Chef Tala Bashmi highlighted Bahraini culinary heritage on the global stage, while chefs like Lulwa Sowalieh and Yousif Qambar used innovation and storytelling to preserve tradition and inspire change, underscoring gastronomy's power as a tool for cultural diplomacy and sustainability.

Gulf City Spotlight: Riyadh

We’re zoning in on the Gulf’s twelve largest cities by population size, and each month we will be sharing three interesting agri-food facts about one of them. This month, it’s all about Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, home to 7.8 million people (as of 2024), and over 33,399 restaurants (as of 2021). The Kingdom boasts the largest Food and Beverage industry in the Middle East, and Riyadh has about one restaurant for every 234 people.

• Riyadh is the most important alfalfa producer in the Gulf region, a plant which is primarily grown as fodder for livestock. The area cultivated with fodder in Riyadh is approximately 851,000 dunums, making it a crucial crop for supporting the local dairy and meat industries. 

• Riyadh's cuisine is a rich blend of traditional Saudi dishes and international flavors. The most notable traditional dish is Kabsa, a spiced rice dish typically served with meat, which reflects the region's culinary heritage and flavored with spices like cardamom, saffron, and black lime. Most food ingredients in Riyadh, such as wheat, dates, ghee, meat, fish, and vegetables, are sourced locally. 

• Riyadh is home to the tallest vertical farm in the world, and both the public and private sectors heavily support land-light agricultural solutions such as vertical farming, in part thanks to the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals, which focus on ensuring sustainability and food security for the country.

Gulf Genius Bar: Sascha Dutta

We’re tapping Gulf ecosystem insiders to share their favourite things in food and ag across the Gulf. This month, we are featuring our chat with Sascha Dutta, Founder and Marketing & Events Management Consultant at Foodpreneurs Collective, a community of F&B entrepreneurs, investors and industry experts running virtual and in-person events, and Lead Ambassador for FoodHack Dubai, with a focus on the UAE.

HOMEGROWN BRANDS – It has been exciting to discover brands founded in the UAE. Three of my favourites are: Tabchilli, who make gourmet probiotic-rich fermented foods with a range of artisanal hot sauces and kimchi. You can visit their Al Wasl store and attend a workshop if you want to learn how to make them yourself. Second is Below Farm, a circular functional mushroom company based in Abu Dhabi with a vertically integrated value chain enabling the cultivation of mushrooms in the arid desert climate. Last, Nature’s Own Factory manufacture the finest quality tea blends, chocolate, dates and chocolate spreads based on the seeds of Tatar buckwheat. 

FOODIE HANGOUTS – Since I relocated to Dubai 16 months ago, my two favourite foodie places are Global Village and Ripe Market. Global Village is a foodie’s delight, offering the chance to taste street food from 75 countries. Ripe Market is an artisanal market with a range of foodie stands selling everything from fresh vegetables to chocolates, cakes and sweets to soft drinks, all made by local brands, plus food trucks serving a wide range of different cuisines, from Mexican to Italian and Korean. 

STANDOUT INDEPENDENT CAFES – Two of my favourites are definitely Lime Tree Café and Angel Cakes. I came across Lime Tree Café in Jumeirah about 20 years ago when I first visited Dubai. It was just one café back then, but now it’s a small independent chain with home delivery and catering options. It’s most famous for its delicious homemade cakes, but, if you visit the Sheikh Zayed branch, they also sell unusual ice cream flavours like carrot cake, yuzu and date. Angel Cakes are a small chain of wellness organic cafés offering amazing sugar-free and gluten-free cakes and brunches. There are already several branches in Dubai, and they’re expanding into Saudi, Qatar and Kuwait.

Our Pick of Events & Ecosystem Highlights

Oman AgroFood is happening 2nd-4th December. It will unite government decision-makers, international stakeholders, regional buyers, traders, and innovative technology providers to support sustainable growth in the agriculture, food, and fisheries industries. More details here.

Join PepsiCo R&D External Innovation team in collaboration with Desertech Ventures at the PepsiCo Innovation Breakfast Pitch Lounge on Friday 6th December to network and even pitch to PepsiCo as well as third-party investor and AgriFood industry panellists active in the UAE ecosystem. Sign up here.

Kuwait International Agro Food Expo, on 15th-16th December, is the only specialised international exhibition for the food and agri sector in the country. Find out more here.

Saudi Arabia’s International Conference on Agriculture, Forest, Food, Food Sciences and Technologies is taking place on 20th December. Learn more here.

Start your 2025 right with Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, 12th-18th January. Featuring a massive lineup of climate-focused events, it’s not one to be missed. Get more info here.

The 2nd Global Summit on Food Science & Technology’s theme will be Feeding Innovation: The Nexus of Food Science & Technology. It’s happening in Dubai on 3rd-5th March; find out more here.

The Saudi Food Manufacturing Summit is taking place from 13th-15th April 2025 to help transform the landscape of the kingdom’s F&B manufacturing industry. Learn more here.