Dubai, UAE: According to a recent statement by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the UAE fresh food sales is expected to increase from around 2.8 million tonnes in 2015 to around 3.6 million tonnes in 2019, while the retail value of packaged food sales is forecast to rise from around AED 16 billion in 2015 to around AED 23.1 billion by 2019.

Against this backdrop, Youssef Jammal, Head of Hospitality and Retail in The H Holding Enterprise, an investment group, said in a communiqué that local investment in new F&B outlets and the active franchise market in the UAE, both indicate that the F&B franchise market will continue to grow.

According to a KPMG’s UAE Food and Beverage Survey, said The H Holding Enterprise, 66% of respondents have their dinner out at least once during the week, with casual dining restaurants, quick service restaurants and food courts being the most popular F&B choices for the UAE residents.

“F&B is the sector that doesn’t invite consumers to change their habits due to uncertainty in the global economy,” said Jammal quoting the survey.

“Dubai F&B market is raising the competition bar to new levels,” he observed. “The UAE competitive market suggests more investments on all scales of innovation, variety and concept.”

Extrapolating on this, Climate Control Middle East believes that this might bring cold chain-related issues to the fore.