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Jeddah to host major food, hotel, hospitality and packaging show

salama — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:03:47 +0000

Over 350 companies from 22 countries will be participating at the annual Saudi food, hotel, hospitality & propac arabia show to be held in Jeddah from May 20-23, 2012, under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture and under the auspices of Engineer Hassan Sangoof, Director General, Ministry of Agriculture, Makkah Region.

Organised by Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions (ACE), the event – Saudi Arabia’s 17th international Event for Food, Beverages and Catering, Hotel Equipment, Supplies and Services – is set for opening at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 20 at the JCCI-owned Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events.

“This is the leading event in the Kingdom’s food, hotel, hospitality, processing and packaging industries, with a successful track record of more than fifteen years,” Zahoor Siddique, Vice President for Exhibitions, ACE, said.

The show has established Jeddah as the hub of the food, hotel and hospitality sector, and the Kingdom as a national showcase and forum where worldwide suppliers present their products and services, he added.

The event, propac arabia – the Kingdom’s comprehensive showcase for the industry – runs concurrently and will display a diverse range of exhibitor profile covering the entire spectrum of this industry. This is Saudi Arabia’s 17th International Event for Production & Processing, Printing & Packaging, Plastics & Chemicals.

The dual event hosts an impressive list of national pavilions from China, Egypt, Indonesia, Taiwan, Turkey, USA and individual companies from Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Singapore, Tunisia and UAE; and Saudi companies representing international brands.

The show incorporates TopChef & Art de Table, jointly organized by ACE and Saudi Arabian Chef Association, which will feature culinary skills of chefs from the finest hotels and restaurants and adjudicated by a panel of international experts.

“Art de table will be yet another attraction of impressive table displays by leading hotels and restaurants,” Zahoor Siddique added.

The shows also enjoy the support of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Islamic Center for Development of Trade with Royal Host as the Main Sponsor and Fakieh Group as the strategic sponsor.

The show runs daily from 5 -10 pm, 20-23 May, 2012.

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USA: Prison issues addressed at interfaith meeting in Dearborn Heights

salama — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:05:37 +0000

Prison issues addressed at interfaith meeting in Dearborn Heights

By Samer Hijazi

The interfaith meeting held at the Islamic House of Wisdom was headed by Imam Mohamed Ali Elahi.

DEARBORN HEIGHTS— On Tuesday an interfaith meeting was held at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights that included Imams of both Shi’a and Sunni congregations along with representatives from churches around the southeast Michigan area. The meeting was called for to discuss and address concerns of prisoners in the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Imam Mohammed Ali Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom expressed his gratitude towards the religious leaders that had made it out to attend the meeting.

“There is one God that unites us all, no matter the religion, language or location and that is wonderful,” the Imam stated at the beginning of the meeting. “There is a verse in the Quran that that tells us that sometimes it’s an obligation to save a church. There is also a similar message in the bible that says ‘Love your neighbor,’” he added.

Michael Martin, the special activities coordinator from the corrections department was also in attendance. He gave a presentation on statistics regarding prisoners and their faith as well as some efforts the department has been making to accommodate all of the prisoners.

Some of the statistics provided by Martin included percentages; 4% of all prisoners in the Ryan Correctional Facility located in Detroit identified themselves as Muslim. Another 7.4% identified themselves as the Nation of Islam. 44.2% of inmates identified themselves as Protestant, the largest percentage on the list. Very similar percentages were also reported at the Macomb Corrections Facility, located in New Haven.

Over at the Huron Valley Women’s Complex located in Ypsilanti, the numbers differed somewhat. A total of 0.6% of prisoners identified themselves as Muslim and only 0.5% identified themselves as the Nation of Islam. 41.8% identified themselves as Protestant.

Some concerns addressed at the meeting included Halal food, which is not provided in the prisons. Martin stated that they are aware of the issue and that the department was working on providing the Muslim prisoners with that option.

Others voiced their concerns about Islamophobia, stating that they’ve heard stories of Muslims being out-casted in the prisons by other prisoners and mistreated for being Muslim by staff.

“I am not aware of that. To my knowledge it’s not happening. The best way to prevent that is to have Muslim volunteers to come in and teach prisoners about Islam, rather than have them teach each other,” Martin added.

Others felt that there was a lack of communication between the department and religious organizations that have tried to reached out by volunteering. Martin stated that there was a process required in getting a religious organization approved in order to communicate with other prisoners.

“I am absolutely committed to ensure that prisoners and volunteers, whatever their religion is, have the same opportunities as other volunteers and prisoners from other faiths,” Martin stated at the end of the meeting.

Article 2 on Halal Food in Prisons

Chad Groening – OneNewsNow

Judge: Equal Muslim law = no religious establishment

A federal judge recently threw out prisoner James Rivers’ lawsuit against Ohio Prison director Gary Mohr’s decision to ban pork from kitchens in all prisons under control of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. That was Mohr’s solution when Muslims threatened a lawsuit, demanding that they be served strict “halal” meals.

Former Navy Chaplain Dr. Gordon Klingenschmitt, who runs The Pray In Jesus Name Project, reports that Judge James S. Guin ruled the prison’s no-pork diet does not violate the Constitution. But he points out that Christian inmates have no dietary rights.

“This is another example of the Islamicization [sic] of America. It’s establishing Islam as the state religion of the prison system,” Klingenschmitt contends. “The judge’s reasoning is this: He said as long as all of the prisoners are forced to eat the same food, then there’s no discrimination taking place. In other words, if he enforces Muslim law equally, then there’s no establishment of religion. I think that’s wrong, and I pray this is overturned on the appeal.”

This is another reason Klingenschmitt is encouraging believers to sign his online petition urging Congress to pass HR 973 in order to stop activist judges from enforcing sharia law in American courts.

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UK: London 2012: How do the Olympics handle religion?

salama — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:10:39 +0000

By Michael Hirst BBC 2012

The man responsible for delivering the Olympics is in a panic, drafting a press release heralding London’s pride in its “mulitculturality”, and hoping the Algerians will not follow through on their threat to boycott the Games due to an unintentional religious faux-pas.

Thankfully, the scene is taken from the new series of Twenty Twelve, which takes a satirical look at London’s preparations for the Games, rather than the preparations themselves.

But the Olympics throw up a range of religious issues that need to be confronted, from the religious obligations of Sikhs wearing daggers despite security concerns, Christians refusing to run on a Sunday, or the requirement for Muslims to observe the Ramadan fast, which this year coincides with the Games.

How do you cater for athletes of nine different religions at the Olympic Games?

Ancient connection

The man charged with answering that question for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games is Reverend Canon Duncan Green, an Anglican priest who has been seconded to Locog as its head of faith services.

His starting point was to form a faith reference group comprising representatives of the UK’s nine largest religions – Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Jain and Bahai – to advise on issues around faith in order to cater to the observations of practicing athletes, spectators and officials.

Religion and the Games have history: the ancient Games were held as part of a religious festival in honour of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses, and athletes offered their sporting prowess to the gods.

In 1935, when Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the modern Olympics, he noted: “The first essential characteristic of the modern Olympics is that, like the Olympics of ancient Greece, they constitute a religion.”

The rituals, symbols, rites and ceremonies of the modern games are testament to that connection.

And religion can play a more central role: At Paris 1924, British sprinter Eric Liddell – a practising Christian – refused to compete in the heats for the 100m because they were held on a Sunday – as made famous in the film Chariots of Fire.

‘Landmark chaplaincy’

At the modern Games, catering for so many different faiths is a major operation.

While there will be a prayer room at every venue, the Olympic Village will have a large multi-faith centre, with a common lounge and specific areas for the five largest faiths, managed by representatives of those faiths.

“It’s a landmark chaplaincy,” says Rev Green. Chaplains will be based on site at the Olympic village, as well as near the sailing venue at Weymouth and at Royal Holloway College in Egham to cater for rowers.

Some 350 religious figures applied for 193 chaplaincy places, with their focus being serving those involved in the Games.

“That’s been healthy because we haven’t sat round a table talking about what we do and don’t believe, we’ve been talking about how we serve the Olympics,” says Rev Green.

The task is brought sharply into focus by events such as the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili at Vancouver’s Winter Olympics in 2010.

“The chaplaincy played a big part in the response to that death,” says Rev Green. “Whenever you’ve got millions of people coming together as you have for the Games inevitably sad things happen and if there is an illness or somebody dies there’s an aftermath.”

While the chaplaincy will be part of any emergency response at London, Rev Green points out that whenever young people travel away from home there may be the need for support – whether a dog dies or a grandmother is taken ill – and the chaplaincy aims to cater for those needs.

‘Great leveller’

On more day-to-day issues, the faith services team will be overseeing break-a-fast packs for Muslims observing Ramadan during the Games, while dining facilities at the athletes’ village will be open for 24 hours so competitors will be able to eat before dawn.

Rev Green shrugs off suggestions of potential tensions between competitors of different faiths, saying that all adherents will be catered for.

“We’ve got a variety of Muslim chaplains, as well as Christians from evangelicals through to high Catholics, orthodox Jews through to reform,” he says. “Sport’s a great leveller because it gives a commonality.

“When you take part in the Olympics you adopt the Olympic values and respect is all part of that and valuing the person you’re working with. It’s been refreshing to work in this environment.”

But Rev Green is clear that the Olympics do not represent a proselytising opportunity.

“The chaplaincy’s there to serve the Games and respond – it’s not about evangelising,” he says.

So perhaps 2012 hopes to emulate Twenty Twelve’s “multiculturality” after all…

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UK: Lord Noon’s Bombay Halwa launches Royal Halal in UK

salama — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:02:46 +0000

Lord Gulam Noon, who produces 1.5 million curries a week for various food brands, launched ‘Royal Halal’ meals under his own family-owned brand at the company headquarters, Bombay Halwa in Southall, Middlesex.

Royal Halal is a range of premium frozen ready-cooked meals that promise quality and the authentic taste of home-cooked food. Consistent with Bombay Halwa’s philosophy of product innovation and evolution, the Royal Halal meals come in four distinct flavours – Saag Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Kadhai Chicken and Butter Chicken, with Baghara Rice as an accompaniment to all meals.

Talking about the new range, Lord Noon, Chairman and Managing Director, Bombay Halwa, said that the time was right for a premium quality Halal food product to be launched in the UK market. “We have been closely surveying and monitoring the market for a few years now and know that the word ‘Halal’ has become very buoyant in the Muslim community. The Royal Halal dishes are mainly targeted at this community, but are not necessarily only for them. These are indeed for anyone who likes quality meat dishes,” he said.

“In the Royal Halal range, there are no artificial colours or added preservatives. This is very important, as sometimes, preservatives may become non-Halal,” Lord Noon added. His vision for this product is to see it being distributed not just in the UK, but also in Europe and the Middle East.

As an accompaniment to these meals, Bombay Halwa has also launched Royal Paranthas. “These are as easy to toast as slices of bread and act as an ideal accompaniment to the Halal meals or can be enjoyed by themselves as a snack,” said Executive Chef, Jayan Nambiar. The Chef also shared his experience of having developed and produced the Royal Halal range.

“These meals are cooked in a very traditional manner, just as you would at home. There are no shortcuts or ready-mixes used in the preparation and even though we cook these in large quantities, the aim has always been to try and retain the taste of home-cooked food,” he added.
The Royal Halal range is already available through various independent retailers and cash-and-carry stores and Bombay Halwa is in advanced talks with multiples and supermarkets.

The range, produced by Bombay Halwa, joins other fine products under the Royal brand, including Indian sweets, savoury snacks, pickles, chutneys and sauces, among others. Shabbir Kanchwala, Assistant Managing Director, Bombay Halwa, was also present at the occasion and gave an interesting snapshot of the journey of Bombay Halwa – from its humble beginnings in 1973 to the vast food empire that it is today.

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USA: Food trucks on the National Mall being pushed

salama — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:38:57 +0000

If one District of Columbia official has her way, the city’s wildly popular food trucks could find a place on the National Mall.

Harriet Tregoning, D.C.’s Director of Planning, wants the National Park Service to make changes to its regulations to allow food trucks to park and serve customers near the Mall.

“I would encourage them…to give visitors more variety and more flexibility,” said Tregoning.

One D.C. official wants food trucks like these to be able to do business closer to the National Mall. (Photo: Mark Segraves)

It’s currently slim pickings on the National Mall. One can either hit up a museum or a hot dog stand.

Tregoning is proposing having an entire pavilion of food trucks lined up on Seventh Street during lunchtime hours to give visitors a choice.

“[The food trucks] would be refreshing,” said D.C. resident Meredith Mark. “It would actually provide a consistent customer base for the food trucks and people on the Mall.”

For many people, food trucks are part of a daily routine.

“Every day of the week, there’s a different selection of food trucks,” said D.C. resident Tore Dyvik. “Monday through Friday you can choose Korean, you can choose halal.”

But for some vendors who serve nearly 300 customers a day in downtown D.C., they are not so sure there will be a consistent client base at the Mall.

“To be able to make any money we have to make it through a whole lot of customers who get in at a certain time and get off at a certain time,” said vendor Dion Reen. “We have a long line and then it’s gone.”

Current National Park Service regulations prohibit financial transactions on Park Service property. So far, they were not shooting down the concept, but it was not immediately known when a decision would be made.

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USA: McDonald’s to open 100 new outlets in Middle East

salama — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:44:32 +0000

NEW YORK, Feb 21 — The burger wars that have been playing out in North America, pitting fast food giants against mid-sized brands, are poised to be repeated in the Middle East.

At the largest food trade fair in the Middle East, Gulfood, it was revealed that McDonald’s is expected to open 100 new outlets this year with a particular focus on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, reported HotelierMiddleEast.com on February 20.

Currently, the Golden Arches has 833 restaurants in 17 markets in the Middle East and Africa – a growth rate of between 10 to 15 per cent every year.

Meanwhile, US-based burger chain Smashburger also announced plans to add another 50 to 70 outlets in the Middle East this year as part of a larger strategy to become an international presence.

Popular New York burger institution Shake Shack in Madison Square Garden also recently opened its first international outposts, with locations in Dubai and Kuwait City. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Saudi fast food market to hit $4.5bn by 2015

salama — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:10:06 +0000

By Elizabeth Broomhall – Arabian Business

Saudi Arabia’s fast food market is expected reach a value of $4.5bn in the next three years, driven by high demand among young, affluent citizens, according to a report by Euromonitor.

Restaurant chains providing hamburgers and popular deserts will see the biggest surge in sales, accounting for nearly 20 percent of food service transactions in the Kingdom by 2015, the market research firm said.

“Fast food outlets have become important social spaces for a growing cohort of Saudi young people,” said Michael Schaefer, head of consumer foodservice research at Euromonitor.

“Future expansion will be driven by those operators which offer a combination of indulgence and inviting, comfortable outlets; with hamburgers, ice cream, and sweet baked goods all in high demand.”

Saudi Arabia along with the rest of the Gulf has seen a surge in fast food chains entering the market in recent years, as international brands seek to bolster their global revenues amid increased competition in their domestic markets.

Franchise consultants say they have been bombarded with enquiries especially from mid-sized firms eyeing opportunities to open tens of stores around the region.

New Zealand fast food chain Burger Fuel said in December it planned to open another 12 stores across the Middle East in the near future, after regional sales grew by 47.29 percent to hit $2m, boosted by outlets in Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

Tim Hortons, Canada’s largest restaurant chain, also announced plans to roll out 120 stores in the GCC over the next five years, whilst Smashburger said it had signed agreements for 17 stores in Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Other brands with regional expansion in the pipeline include US ‘fast casual’ chains, such as Which Wich, Spicy Pickle and Dressed.

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Organic food off the menu for UAE hotels

salama — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:28:26 +0000

By Elizabeth Broomhall, Arabian Business.com

UAE hotels are veering away from organic menus due to a lack of demand for guilt-free products in the region, food and beverage managers have said.

Organic food, which is produced naturally and under eco-friendly conditions, is too expensive for the majority of restaurant-goers, most of whom prefer lower-cost, conventional products, hotel staff said.

“The demand is not enough, no-one asks for it,” Gregor Schmidt-Kiefer, F&B manager for the Four Points Sheraton hotel in Dubai, told Arabian Business.

“We discussed this with our chefs, but it is very expensive and people aren’t prepared to pay for it in a hotel. It’s more than double [the price], especially for dairy products, so you have to price the dish higher.”

Kiefer said the hotel had experimented with organic tea, but the lack of demand meant even this was financially unviable.

“I wanted to try it with organic tea, but it’s not really popular either, people aren’t looking for it. We price it the same as the other tea, but we pay more than double to purchase it.”

Organic produce has attracted more attention in the UAE in recent years as individuals become more health conscious.

Experts say the demand for more naturally-produced food comes largely from the Western expatriate population, but is also growing among young Emirati females.

The Radisson Blu in Dubai Media City made a move towards organic alternatives last month, when it offered a special organic menu for diners between January 15 and January 31 at its Italian restaurant Certo.

F&B director Adil Souate said guests were largely uninterested in the new choices, with sales remaining low despite the possibility of discounts on dishes.

“It’s something that’s getting a bit more popular in Dubai, but so far the demand is not there,” he said.

“In terms of sales it didn’t produce a lot, we sold about 180 portions in two weeks – about 6 percent of our total.”

Organic dishes were approximately 22 percent more expensive than normal options, he said, hiking the price of lunch or dinner quite significantly.

Hospitality consultants believe most hotels find organic menus less profitable than traditional options.

Whilst organic options are increasing, there is also a tendency to offer simply healthier products.

“Organic produce by definition is more expensive, because it produces lower yield, the shelf life is shorter and in most cases organic food is flown in,” said Daniel During, managing partner at hospitality consultancy Thomas Klein.

“While the general public may be ready to pay a premium for organic food, there is a limit to how much you can charge and therefore many times it is more profitable to use non-organic ingredients.”

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UAE-NZ ties growing

salama — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:55:30 +0000

By Abdul Basit, Khaleej Times

31 January 2012 DUBAI – Trade between the UAE and New Zealand is expected to continue its significant growth, according to New Zealand Consul-General in Dubai Steve Jones.

Trade figures show New Zealand exports to the GCC have grown from $695 million in 2009 to $1.2 billion in 2011 that shows a 71 per cent increase over the two-year period.

Dubai’s attraction to more tourists will increase demand for food and beverage products and it will provide opportunities to New Zealand companies to boost exports, Jones, who is also trade commissioner for Middle East and Africa, told Khaleej Times in Dubai late on Sunday.

As the Dubai tourism market grows, demand for fine products will go up in parallel and New Zealand will be able to supply more products for tourism and hospitality sector in Dubai, he said.

“We would still be expected significant growth annual growth over the next couple of years,” Jones said, adding that UAE exports to New Zealand have also increased in the last couple of year, mostly petrochemicals.

Exports to the region are mostly dairy products where New Zealand companies have expertise at international level. It’s one of the biggest sectors for exports, he added.

“While New Zealand is well known as a food and beverage exporter, increasingly our exports to the Gulf region are diversifying away from just food and beverages to include ICT, education and consultancy, and specialised manufacturing,” he said.

He mentioned that 85 companies are working in the UAE and more new companies are expected to establish base in the UAE this year. He lists a number of companies which have made business impact in the region in the last year. These include weather forecasting and digital media company Metra, health technology company Winscribe, security systems firm Gallagher, and specialist composite construction engineering company Pultron Composites.

While trade ties are strengthened by New Zealand-based companies expanding into the region, there is also a clear government-level commitment to the region — with the opening of a New Zealand Embassy in the UAE, and joint New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise visits to Oman and Qatar. “New Zealand and the UAE have had an excellent economic and trade relationship for so many years now and the establishment of our embassy in Abu Dhabi underscores the fact that we are looking at further growing that relationship with the UAE across all sectors of society,” Malcolm Millar, Ambassador of New Zealand to the UAE, said.

“It is indeed noteworthy that our trade relations with this nation have witnessed tremendous growth and we are confident that those figures will keep an upward trajectory in the coming years.”

NZTE’s Beachheads programme — a global, public-private partnership of independent advisors and NZTE staff working closely with high-growth New Zealand businesses looking to succeed internationally — has helped an increasing number of growing businesses gain a foothold in the Middle East.

“Beachheads is a very successful programme worldwide, and we are planning to expand the service in the Middle East. It is most relevant to New Zealand companies with a permanent presence and senior management based in the region, and those planning for growth,” Jones said.

abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com

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UAE: Marketing Survey Suggests that UAE Residents Eat Out 11 Times a Week

salama — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:04:22 +0000

By Don Young Jr – Daily Deal Media

Over half the week’s meals are consumed outside the home

Here is an interesting survey that just came out. These findings come from the combined efforts of LivingSocial and YouGov statistics are in and they show that United Arab Emirates (UAE) are eating out a whopping 11 times a week. Considering an average week consists of 21 meals, which implies that UAE residents are eating out over 50% of the time.

The survey suggests that local Arabic cuisine is still top dog. Italian and Chinese restaurants then round out the top three choices. Ethiopian, Brazilian, Argentinean and German were the least popular food choices. Unfortunately the survey also pointed to the fact that friends are beating out family members to the table as preferred dining companions outside the home.

This latest report was commissioned by LivingSocial as part of its ongoing efforts to discover and share information about local social trends. The survey itself was based on the dining habits provided by 1,131 residents. The results are quite interesting and do provide certain insight into the tastes of local residents.

A breakdown of the respondents

Lebanon – 57%
UAE - 35%
Jordan – 23%
Egypt – 17%
Others – 3%

The majority of those surveyed (61%) were between the ages of 18 and 34.

According to the results, 64% of UAE residents dine out with their friends verses their family. Business colleagues proved the least popular choice with only 23% of respondents choosing to dine with their colleagues.

The study also revealed women preferred Arabic cuisine followed by Italian. Men preferred BBQ and pizza.

Take out choices

When it comes to preferred take-out options, pizza is the number one food choice according to 54% of those responding. Spicy carry-out came in second with most choosing Indian cuisine. Third on the take out menu was Arabic food.

The survey suggests that residents in the UAE are also a health-conscious crowd with 28% of respondents considering themselves “health nuts. More than two-thirds of those surveyed also say they don’t have a sweet tooth.”

Conclusions

Surveys like this help companies such as LivingSocial in their efforts to target deals. It would make little sense for a daily dealer to offer food vouchers on those foods that are not favored. Even though the survey was conducted on a small amount of residents, it also shows that there may be a tremendous opportunity considering how often it appears that UAE residents dine out.

Source: The Gulf Today

Short URL: http://www.dailydealmedia.com/?p=26611

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