{
  "id": 12791611,
  "title": "Global Food Week in Abu Dhabi highlights UAE's growing appetite for dairy and local innovations",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/global-food-week-in-abu-dhabi-highlights-uaes-growing-appetite-for",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-08T04:34:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/uae/abu-dhabi/global-food-week-in-abu-dhabi-highlights-uaes-growing-appetite-for-dairy-and-local-innovations-1.500702006"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Abu Dhabi's Global Food Week highlighted the UAE's increasing interest in dairy products and local innovations. Exhibitors noted that the UAE market is less about exports and more about an established consumer base that is open to new tastes and willing to pay for quality. The dairy market in the UAE was valued at $2.53 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $3.28 billion by 2031. Key factors driving growth include the country's diverse expatriate population and the National Food Security Strategy 2051, which promotes local production. Dairy categories such as yoghurt and cheese are expected to see significant growth, particularly among health-conscious consumers and those catering to expatriate communities. Danish dairy brands like Lurpak and Puck are familiar in the UAE, while Turkish brand Pınar offers a creamier version of labneh, appealing to local tastes. Indian dairy giant Amul has expanded beyond dairy to include ice cream, chocolate, and other products, catering to a broad consumer base. Local companies like Hidmi showcase traditional Palestinian cheeses and their importance in Arab breakfast culture. Meanwhile, Italian Gate, an Abu Dhabi start-up, offers handmade Italian cheeses like mozzarella and burrata, emphasizing artisanal production.",
  "summary": "Abu Dhabi: Walk the aisles of Global Food Week in Abu Dhabi and one thing keeps coming up: dairy. Cheese, butter and cultured products are drawing more attention than ever. Gulf News spoke to a number of exhibitors, and most described the UAE less as an export target than as a market they have known for years. What they see now is a consumer who is more informed, more open to new tastes and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}