Gulfood, Dubai’s popular annual food and beverage trade show, is back. Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from February 13 to 17, the 27th season of the event features the latest innovations and produce from companies around the world.
This year, more than 4,000 companies from 120 countries are participating, making this a deliciously versatile look at what’s new and trending in the culinary space.
Moreover, Gulfood 2022 is championing the latest innovations in sustainable packaging and carbon-zero food products.
With many of these products pegged for launch in the Middle Eastern market soon (with some already out), consider this a glimpse of what's coming soon to a supermarket shelf near you.
Emirati spice-flavoured crisps
Over the past few years, we’ve seen more international brands cater to local food tastes. When it comes to snacking, Hunter Foods went all-out last year with hand-cooked potato crisps in flavours such as shawarma, fattoush and shakshuka.
This year, they’re back with a limited-edition flavour to pay tribute to the UAE: Emirati Spice-flavoured crisps. It has been created in collaboration with Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and Dubai SME.
Vegan fish
If the past two years have been all about plant-based beef, followed by plant-based chicken, then it seems like now is the time for plant-based seafood to shine.
French company Kokiriki debuted Veg-Toona, a vegan alternative to tuna that “looks like real fish with the same taste, but has never seen the sea”.
The tuna substitute is made using soy protein, and is GMO-free, palm oil-free and cholesterol-free, and can be eaten hot or cold.
Date sugar
It’s not new, but given the region’s fondness for – and accessibility to – dates, date sugar is certainly a game-changer.
It's made by grinding the natural fruit into a fine powder, thus creating a sugar substitute. Although it does not dissolve fully when added to water – meaning it’s not the best option for your coffee or tea – it’s pegged as a natural way to sweeten smoothies and baked goods.
Homegrown brand Al Barakah Dates says the product, which is already in stores, has been popular, with the biggest markets for it in the UAE, US and Bangladesh.
Locally made plant-based cheese spread
Plant-based cheese is certainly nothing new, but further innovation has been needed in the field as initial products gave us only a taste of what can be achieved.
Abu Dhabi food and beverage giant Agthia and local snacks brand Freakin’ Healthy have launched the first plant-based spreadable cheese produced in the UAE – and it comes with a variety of flavours to boot.
The product is made from cashews and uses high-pressure processing technology to extend the shelf life of the cheese while keeping its nutritional content. Some flavours you can expect to see on shelves soon are Original, Chilli Spice and Smoked Paprika.
Charcoal bread
If there’s anything social media has proved, it’s that we eat with our eyes first. With more brands looking to create dishes that look as good as they taste, there’s been an appetite for ingredients that offer a different look. Think matcha and beetroot – and activated charcoal.
German company Abel & Schafer and its partner Truebell showcased a variety of charcoal-infused bread at Gulfood, with hopes to introduce a flour derivative to market in future.
“More restaurants in the UAE are looking for these products,” says Michael Muhry, a chef with the brand. “If you go to any burger restaurant, they want a burger with black buns, for example. And if you go to cafes, there’s demand for a black and white croissant.”
Frankincense ice cream
Frankincense may be known for its heady scent, and is popularly used in oils, perfumes and soaps, but the food and beverage industry may be finding a new use for it.
Oman’s Mazoon Dairy displayed a frankincense-flavoured premium ice cream at Gulfood, along with a Frankincense-flavoured milk.
The idea isn't fresh, but has been an experiment in food blogger circles. It's only now that it might actually become available in our local stores.
The Byblos iftar in numbers
29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month
50 staff members required to prepare an iftar
200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly
160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total
500 litres of soup is served during the holy month
200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes
350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes
5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
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HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
MATCH INFO
Everton 0
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Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Scores
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.
Tell Me Who I Am
Director: Ed Perkins
Stars: Alex and Marcus Lewis
Four stars
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
