GMG, a conglomerate based in the UAE, has launched four new factories to produce value-added food products, including a new factory with a capacity of 11,000 metric tonnes of herbs and spices. The company’s global expansion plans for six of its food brands aim to reach international markets across four continents over the next five years, making UAE an exporter of value-added food products. 

The factories are located in GMG’s Dubai Investments Park facility, and collectively rank among the largest food production facilities in the UAE. The company’s food division oversees six product lines and includes six modern factories, an R&D kitchen, and a food laboratory. GMG has recently opened new offices in Southeast Asia and Africa and plans to open 100 new stores in Southeast Asia by 2025.

During a media briefing held by the Ministry of Economy to highlight its sustained efforts in the field of customer protection, Abdullah Sultan Al Fan Al Shamsi, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Monitoring and Follow Up Sector at the Ministry of Economy, emphasized that the UAE has a robust customer protection framework that prioritizes consumer rights and promotes market stability and prosperity. In addition, Al Shamsi explained that the Ministry works alongside federal and local government partners, the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection, cooperatives, the private sector, and stakeholders to develop and implement policies and initiatives that uphold consumer rights in line with global standards and the UAE’s Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection.

Al Shamsi also shared that the Ministry held meetings with basic commodity suppliers to ensure sufficient stocks of essential items such as rice, flour, sugar, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and juices during Ramadan. The Ministry also worked with fruit and vegetable committees in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to ensure adequate stocks of produce. In addition, Al Shamsi stated that the Ministry would monitor initiatives announced by cooperative societies and sales outlets, including discounts on various commodity prices during Ramadan. The Ministry and its partners also conducted inspections to ensure compliance with Ministry decisions regarding prices, with 94,123 inspections conducted in 2022, and 8,170 inspections conducted in the first few months of 2023.

Al Shamsi highlighted the UAE’s efficient policies for ensuring the availability of strategic stocks of essential commodities, which prioritize the government’s commitment to citizens, residents, and visitors. He emphasized that the Ministry worked to prevent unjustified price hikes and strengthened methods for combating monopoly practices and supporting sound trade practices. Al Shamsi also noted that consumers play a crucial role in enhancing consumer protection in the UAE by providing feedback and suggestions through communication channels.

Finally, the Ministry is set to announce new initiatives in the field of consumer protection, including the issuance of executive regulations for Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection, which will support the legal reference to preserving consumers’ rights and ensuring the right balance between the rights of merchants, suppliers, and sales outlets.

India and Saudi Arabia are working together to create an “investment bridge” aimed at expediting pending bilateral investment projects and making it easier for investors to participate. The deliberations towards this objective occurred in Riyadh, where Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary in charge of the Gulf in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, met with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for International Partnerships, Mohammad Al Hassnah. 

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs reports that the two sides discussed opportunities for bilateral investment exchanges. The officials also reviewed the progress made under the Committee on Economy and Investment of the SPC, and agreed to make further progress on priority opportunities. The meeting also included a courtesy call by Dr. Sayeed to thank the Saudi Arabian Minister for Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al Rabiah, for reinstating India’s Haj quota after COVID-19 pandemic-induced reductions. The Haj quota for the Haj Committee of India under a bilateral Agreement with Saudi Arabia for this year is 175,025 pilgrims.