“Dubai itself is now being promoted as the ‘highway to the world’ and positioned as an economic powerhouse alongside London, New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
“Given the high demand for top-quality food and the steak-eating culture, this market clearly offers exciting potential for our iconic Scotch Beef label with its world-leading quality assurance and global acclaim for taste.”
However, QMS warned that more clarity is needed on the details of the stipulations required to achieve certification.
Vernet attended trade exhibition Gulfood in Dubai last year, where he noted the potential of a region with 8.3 million inhabitants – a large proportion of which are expatriates – and that attracts 9 million visitors a year.
The UK already has a health certificate for the export of lamb to the UAE, and although no Scotch Lamb is currently exported to this market, Vernet hopes that the opening of the market to Scotch Beef will foster interest in Scotch Lamb as well.
