Middle East Focus: Food sector AI, coconut nectar, trout and more

AI and cloud tech are transforming the UAE food industry amid government initiatives to modernise operations, reduce costs, and enhance supply chain efficiency The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has invested significant amounts of money and time into AI, not least in the development of its national UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy which aims to position the UAE as a global AI leader by 2031, integrating AI into various sectors. The UAE has previously been highlighted as a ‘dark horse’ in terms of regional food AI leadership , and the country appears to be taking this very seriously. Thailand’s Chiwadi taps demand for clean label functional foods in markets new to coconut nectar, with focus on Asia and the UAE The company currently exports to the US and is looking to expand in Asia and the UAE, citing growing interest in natural products with health benefits. There is growing focus on health-focused creations in Asia and the Middle East , and an increasing number of proactive health-conscious consumers in the US seeking products with health benefits. Finnforel has launched sustainably farmed rainbow trout in UAE, tapping the country’s fishing heritage and demand for clean-label convenient nutrition The Finnish aquaculture firm has launched its premium rainbow trout brand LoHi in the UAE as part of its global expansion strategy. CEO Nora Hortling said the UAE’s high fish consumption, growing appetite for salmonid species, and demand for sustainable, healthy foods made it an appealing entry point. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will implement a tiered excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) from January 2026 This will replace the current flat 50% rate with a model based on sugar content per 100ml. The reform, announced by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), is part of a wider push to cut sugar intake, address non-communicable diseases, and align tax systems across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Could the era of precision nutrition turn the pharma-driven metabolism revolution into a food-based one? The weight-loss revolution sparked by GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro is doing more than changing waistlines – it’s transforming the food industry’s relationship with biology. As millions of consumers re-evaluate what, when and how they eat, a parallel movement is gaining momentum: precision nutrition.

Middle East Focus: Food sector AI, coconut nectar, trout and more

Food sector AI, coconut nectar, trout and more feature in this edition of Middle East Focus

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