UAE is the real cross road where people from almost 200 nationalities come to live and work here. The open-door policy is one of the main reasons for the country’s success story.
The UAE is Thailand’s largest export market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, followed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel. Mr. Panot Punyahotra, Director of Thai Trade Center, Dubai has stated that in UAE, people are choosing to be mindful about what enters their bodies, opting more now for organic and plant-based food. It is a potential market for Thai exporters as Thailand, being a tropical haven, produces a huge variety of foods, vegetables, and fruits.
Thai cuisine is known for its herbal and rich flavors, while using several methods of cooking such as Tom (boiling), Yam (spicy salads), Tam (pounding), Gaeng (curries), Yang (grilling), Tod (deep-frying), Pad (stir-frying) and Neung (steaming). In 2020, the value of Thai food exports was estimated at $34.9 billion, an increase of 5.4 per cent from the previous year.
The UAE has a population of around 10 million of which almost three million are in Dubai alone. The UAE is ethnically diverse with Emiratis and Arabs, South Asians, Westerners and East Asians like Filipinos, Chinese, Korean etc. all living together in harmony. To cater to these nationalities, the UAE imports 90 per cent of its food from around the world. The population’s age demographic leans to the younger side and millennials are opting for healthier food and Thailand, as a leading supplier of healthy foods such as organic and vegan products, is an ideal supplying country.
If an exporter is keen to enter the UAE market, first they need to identify their target group so they choose the right distribution channel. Each supermarket has already established its key targeted customers and is located in areas where the population reflects the same.
Thai Groceries is one such outlet that proudly sources its products directly from Thailand. It does so with the help of efficient sourcing in UAE and Thailand. In this way, they can offer a wide variety of authentic, high quality and healthy products to customers.
Observing the trends of the popularity of healthy food and Thai products here, Thai Groceries has brought several authentic Thai products into the UAE to promote and increase the popularity of Thai cuisine and food products among the locals and expats living in Dubai.
Thai Groceries has several specialty products such as Thai Hom Mali rice, fish sauce, curry paste, coconut water, Thai snacks, coconut oil, Thai tea, coconut milk, honey, noodles and of course fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs from Thailand.
The above items and more are available at these 6 Thai Groceries:
Thai Smile Supermarket - Al Karama, Dubai
Thailand Foodstuff Store - Al Karama Dubai
Chalee Foodstuff Trading - France Cluster, International City- Dubai
Thai Corner - Near Al Qiyadah Metro, Hor Al Anz East-Dubai
Baqala Lucky House - Salam Street Abu Dhabi
We Thai Products and Superfruits - Abu Dhabi
Bringing in Thai products and sharing them with the local population enhances the strong business relations between Thailand and the UAE, as well as strengthen people-to-people ties between the two nations.
The Groceries have also conducted a social media competition via Thai Trade Centre — MENA on Facebook and @thaitradecentre_mena on Instagram. Thirty winners receive shopping vouchers worth Dh300 that they could use in any of the six groceries.
