BlueNalu toro

© BlueNalu

Company News

BlueNalu and NEOM Sign MoU to Advance Cell-Cultured Seafood

NEOM, a sustainable regional development initiative in northwest Saudi Arabia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with cell-cultured seafood developer BlueNalu. The partnership seeks to advance the commercialization, marketing, and distribution of BlueNalu’s cell-cultured seafood offerings, aligning with their shared objectives of enhancing food security and promoting access to nutritious food options for global communities. Key objectives outlined in the MoU include: Extending support for establishing an incubation and food innovation ecosystem within Saudi Arabia. Conducting public education and consumer research. Fostering engagement with regulatory bodies to facilitate the approval and sale of novel food products. The formation of this partnership comes on the heels of NEOM’s investment of $20 million into BlueNalu as part of a Series B funding round last month aimed …

more

Saudi officials sign agreements with local companies to boost plant-based alternatives

©2rago-stock.adobe.com

Politics & Law

Saudi Officials Sign Agreements with Local Companies to Boost Plant-Based Alternatives and Food Tech Industry

Officials from the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture recently signed agreements with local food and agricultural companies to develop plant-based alternatives and advance the food tech industry in the country, Arab News reports. In a signing ceremony held in Jeddah recently, the ministry officials and the Cooperative Societies Council, the Saudi Greenhouses Management and Agricultural Marketing Co., and health foods company Ayla Food Options Co., agreed to encourage healthy plant-based diets and developing meat and dairy alternatives while ensuring local production. Additionally, the initiative will help support the advancement of agricultural production, promote food security, and enhance environmental sustainability by reducing the need for animal agriculture. Saudia Arabia has one of the biggest dairy farms in the world, Al-Safi Dairy Farm.  Furthermore, the Saudi Ministry …

more

bags of plant-based chocolate NXT

© Callebaut

Products & Launches

Callebaut’s Plant-Based Chocolate NXT for Chefs and Artisans Arrives in Saudi Arabia

Callebaut, the Belgian gourmet chocolate division of The Barry Callebaut Group, recently launched its plant-based chocolate ‘Callebaut NXT’ in Saudi Arabia. NXT is a 100% plant-based, dark and ‘milk’ chocolate line specially curated for chefs and artisans. According to research by Barry Callebaut, plant-based chocolate is showing a rapid growth in interest, especially among young people. Across the Middle East, plant-based food demand is rising, including desserts which have tremendous importance in the food culture. Callebaut’s NXT has reinvented Belgian gourmet chocolate to make vegan, plant-based, allergen-free, and planet-friendly desserts and chocolates made worldwide. NXT chocolate creations in Riyadh As part of its market launch strategy in Saudi Arabia, Callebaut held an event at the Marriot Hotel in Riyadh to demonstrate NXT’s wide range of possibilities. …

more

Meat processor Tanmiah considers launching plant-based options

© Tanmiah Food Company

Company News

Saudi Meat Processor Tanmiah Considers Move Into Alt-Meat Sector as Beef Sales Fall

Meat processor Tanmiah Food Company, which is based in Saudi Arabia, has said it is considering developing plant-based meat alternatives. If the plan goes ahead, the alt-meat products will likely be launched in the UAE, where demand for healthier and more sustainable options is growing. Bahrain and Qatar are also potential markets. Tanmiah told Gulf News that while chicken sales remain high, beef sales are falling, prompting a search for alternatives. However, plant-based products are still new territory even in the UAE, and demand is currently somewhat limited. For this reason, Tanmiah is not yet sure whether it will enter the market. The company says it will make a decision by the end of the year. Plant-based in the UAE The UAE’s plant-based market may …

more

Folia ©Matthew Kenney Cuisine

Gastronomy & Food Service

Vegan Prince Khaled and Chef Matthew Kenney Launch Folia Plant-Based Menus Across Saudi Arabia

Two leading lights in the global vegan scene, Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed and Matthew Kenney, have teamed up to launch “Folia” multi-course plant-based menus in Saudi Arabia. Folia is a collaborative menu between Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed’s KBW Ventures and Matthew Kenney Cuisine, and will be launched for Riyadh Season – the two-month-long city-wide celebrations of the Saudi Arabian capital.  “On a personal level, the launch of Folia for Riyadh Season is truly the biggest moment in our collaboration with Chef Kenney to date” – Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Using local Saudi ingredients to create multi-course dining experiences at the Kingdom Centre Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, Matthew Kenney embraces the concept that “the future of food is plant-based,” and elevates healthy dining in settings of …

more