Greek F&B in the UAE market

You obviously talk about adaptation of expectations to the market realities…Absolutely. There are some key things to be taken into consideration: First and foremost, building and maintaining relationships is instrumental in doing business in the UAE.  Participation in food exhibitions on a regular basis is a sign of commitment and consistency and an excellent opportunity to connect with prospective partners. The UAE is a regional hub for trade exhibitions, with Gulfood being one of the largest F&B exhibitions in the world. Enterprise Greece organises each year the National Pavilion of Greece with an average participation of 60 Greek companies in each edition.
Greek exporters can also take advantage of various EU-funded promotional activities organised in the UAE that focus on agricultural products. In the last couple of years, special promotional campaigns were launched for Greek fruit, juices, rice, poultry and wine. These campaigns proved very useful in familiarizing Greek producers with the business landscape in the UAE and local market participants with the high quality of the Greek produce.
Expo2020 Dubai offered also an excellent springboard for the promotion of Greek F&B. The Greek agricultural sector had been selected as one of the 8 strategic pillars of the Greek Pavilion at Expo and various F&B promotional events organised by Greek Regions were successfully held there.
It is no coincidence that the restaurant of the Greek Pavilion at ExpoDubai 2020 was one of the most visited at Expo, as the Greek cuisine is very popular among the local Emirati population. Currently, more than 20 Greek restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi serve delicious Greek recipes to customers that many of them have fallen in love with Greek food during their summer vacation in Greece. It is worth noting that some of these restaurants are not owned by Greeks but hospitality groups that have ridden the trend. These outlets can serve as Greek F&B Ambassadors in the local market.
Regrettably, though, popularity of the Greek cuisine among the Emirati does not by any means imply that Greek food became a staple food in the UAE. Emiratis represent just over 10% of the UAE population. The expat community of Europeans and Americans is another 10% and the remaining 80% consists mainly of people from the Indian sub-continent, East Asia and Africa whose majority is low- to middle-income consumers, with a high propensity for consumption of food originating from their home countries.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about the meteoric increase in F&B retail e- and m-commerce. Mobile apps like Instashop, an online grocery delivery service founded by two Dubai-based Greeks, have become increasingly important sales channels for UAE F&B companies.
Lastly, the foodservice sector in the UAE should not be overlooked. Although for most F&B exporters, the jewel of the crown is the entry of their products in a multi-store supermarket chain, this achievement entails high entry costs and low margins. Sales on the HORECA channel offer, on the other hand, low entry costs, higher margins and a lesser need for brand development. Given the development of the HORECA industry in Dubai in particular, it would be unwise to underestimate the potential of this sector for Greek F&B products.
A few peculiarities of the UAE market also need to be considered. As a Muslim country, the import of pork and pork products is permitted, but is very strictly regulated and the market is limited to non-Muslim expat communities. The UAE is also a fast-growing halal food market. Imported meat, poultry products or products containing animal by-products must be Halal-certified by a UAE-approved certification centre in Greece. Alcoholic beverages are available in the UAE, but their import is restricted to a handful of licensed importers who are licensed to import wine and spirits.