Kieran Fitzgerald is the Regional Director of Middle East for Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board
December 15, 2021
People across the UAE have increasingly been making healthier choices when it comes to their food. Whether at home or when eating out, this shift in behaviour towards eating healthier, more natural food, and being more mindful of what is on the plate was especially prominent during the early days of Covid-19.
The pandemic opened the eyes of many in terms of making conscious choices, including maintaining a nutritious diet. Early on the pandemic, during the global lockdowns, and as seen even here in the UAE, people started to cook at home more often. This led to more people following recipes, looking for ingredients and becoming much more focused on the quality and benefits of the food that they were eating.
It is hardly surprising that this increased focus on nutrition came at a time when everyone had a heightened mindfulness of their own personal health. But even apart from this trend, consumers have for some years now been placing importance on how their food is produced.
When the lockdowns eased and as a relatively more normal way of life returned, there was a key question facing the food producing industry: are these food consumption behaviour changes here to stay, or will people fall back to old habits?
UAE consumers are heavily influenced by the health aspects of sustainability
In exploring this further, Bord Bia, the Irish food Board, this year conducted a global survey of 11,187 thought leaders’, consumers’ and trade buyers’ attitudes to sustainability, including 514 participants from the UAE.
And the results from the UAE were revealed shifts in attitudes of consumers. There was enthusiasm for sustainability in the UAE, with a growing focus on healthier food choices; 84 per cent of those surveyed said they tried to limit their consumption of artificial additives last year, which is significantly higherthan the global average of 75 per cent.
We found that, when it came to food and drink choices, UAE consumers are heavily influenced by the health aspects of sustainability. Nearly 60 per cent said the naturalness of the product influenced their grocery-buying choices, the highest of all markets surveyed. And it is important for people in the food producing industry to understand why people feel sustainability is essential to purchasing decisions.
In the UAE, we found that this behavioural shift is strongly linked to a desire for better health and well-being. The survey also showed that nutrition and quality of produce are on the top of people’s minds. This will be music to the ears of the food producers back in Ireland, who export a range of food and beverages to the UAE.
With a shift in priorities of consumers, Ireland has an advantage, thanks to its sustainable food system. By collaborating with over 55,000 farms and 324 leading Irish food and drink companies, the Irish sustainability programme, Origin Green, is helping the industry meet the evolving needs of customers across the world, including here in the UAE.
For the food producing industry, it is important to plan the best approach to meet changing priorities and demands of buyers and consumers to ensure they remain competitive.
The topic of sustainability is a high priority for food producers, who are already working hard to revise working practices and deliver greater sustainability gains. A greater effort, however, is required to deliver against a challenging climate agenda. Doing nothing around sustainability is no longer an option. Companies need to be mindful of the needs of the more attentive, aware and conscious consumers who are demanding action.
Therefore, there is a strong imperative for organisations to integrate sustainability into their business strategies and pay attention to their eco-scores and carbon numbers.
As we see from the shift in consumer attitudes to food consumption in the UAE, buying higher quality produce that is natural and high in health benefits – besides being produced sustainably – is an opportunity for the food industry to meet those expectations.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany - At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people - Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed - Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest - He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Paris Can Wait Dir: Eleanor Coppola Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard Two stars
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
