UAE F&B Leaders Call for Stronger Collaboration to Build Globally Successful Homegrown Brands
More than 75 senior executives and industry stakeholders from across the UAE’s food and beverage sector gathered in Dubai for a sold-out edition of The Hot Take, an industry forum aimed at exploring how the country can develop more globally successful homegrown food and beverage brands.
The event, created by Seda Solmaz, Founder of Idea Atelier UAE, was held at Avant Garde Concept Store in Al Quoz and brought together founders, FMCG leaders, manufacturers, retailers, investors, and innovation experts for an evening of discussions focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, scalability, food security, and the future of the UAE’s F&B industry.
The gathering featured a keynote address by Saleh Lootah, Chairman of the UAE Food & Beverage Manufacturing Business Group, alongside founder spotlights from emerging brands including Maraqah, Raw Grow, Tabchilli, Coco Bites, and Tapenaz.
Attendees also participated in a fireside chat involving Emirates Growth Fund and CarniStore, the fund’s first food and beverage investment in the UAE. A panel discussion further brought together representatives from large FMCG manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, startups, and retailers, creating an open platform for dialogue on the opportunities and challenges facing emerging food brands.
A central theme throughout the event was the need for greater collaboration across the food and beverage ecosystem to support founders through every stage of business growth, from product development and manufacturing to scaling and international expansion.
Speaking at the event, Seda Solmaz highlighted the importance of creating a more connected support network for entrepreneurs in the sector.
“If I were advising the UAE government on one priority, it would be creating a more connected support system for homegrown F&B brands from idea to scale,” she said.
Solmaz noted that many founders face challenges in accessing manufacturing capacity, infrastructure, expertise, and growth support at different stages of their business journey.
“The UAE has all the ingredients to create globally recognised F&B brands. The opportunity now is to build an ecosystem that makes it easier for more founders to scale from local success stories to global ones. FIX shouldn’t be a once-in-a-generation success story. It should be the first of many,” she added.
Participants highlighted the UAE’s unique strengths, including its entrepreneurial culture, world-class infrastructure, investment opportunities, and innovation-driven mindset, as key factors supporting the growth of the local food and beverage sector.
Reflecting on the event’s success, Solmaz said the discussions demonstrated a shared belief that the UAE has the potential to become not only a destination for innovation but also a creator of globally competitive food and beverage brands.
“The UAE wasn’t built by waiting for opportunity. It was built by creating it. The conversations at The Hot Take showed that the same entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the food and beverage industry today, as we work together to build the next generation of F&B brands from the UAE to the world,” she said.
She added that The Hot Take was established to bring together the individuals actively shaping the future of the UAE’s food and beverage landscape, fostering meaningful dialogue and practical collaboration across the industry.
The event attracted representatives from across the entire F&B value chain, including manufacturing, retail, entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment sectors, highlighting growing demand for industry collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
Following the strong response to this year’s edition, organisers confirmed plans to continue expanding The Hot Take as a platform that supports industry dialogue, innovation, and the development of the next generation of food and beverage brands emerging from the UAE.
