Middle East Tourism Boom Opens Big Doors For British Dairy Exports

Published on November 5, 2025

New request for British dairy products is being attributed to a roar successful Middle Eastern tourism and hospitality investment. According to manufacture experts, nan area is group to rank among nan UK’s fastest-growing export destinations, peculiarly successful nan dairy industry.

The expanding request for high-end dairy products, specified arsenic speciality cheese, butter, yoghurt, and babe formula, has been attributed to nan region’s quickly expanding food-service and unit channels arsenic good arsenic nan maturation successful nan number of visitors.

Export ngo underscores opportunity

A five‑day export ngo led by nan Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) was held from 25 to 30 October, pinch a delegation of UK dairy producers visiting Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The inaugural was co‑funded by nan Department for Business and Trade (DBT) nether nan UK Dairy Export Programme and aimed to fortify commercialized ties and present British producers to caller buyers and markets. During nan mission, much than 20 buyers from unit and nutrient work met pinch UK delegates, pinch marketplace briefings, business meetings and networking receptions promoting nan champion of British dairy – from mature cheddars and artisan cheeses to integrated yoghurts, halloumi and babe formula.

Export figures awesome rising momentum

According to AHDB data, UK dairy processors export to complete 135 countries. In caller years, yearly exports person exceeded one million tonnes. While nan UK exported astir £1.8 billion worthy of dairy products successful 2024, authorities information (including dairy and eggs) spot nan full conscionable complete £2 billion.

In nan first half of 2025, export worth reached £1.1 billion, up 20 % year‑on‑year, pinch export volumes astatine astir 688,800 tonnes (+2.5 %). Growth to non‑EU markets (including nan Middle East) was noted arsenic portion of nan trend.

Why nan Middle East matters for UK dairy

Several structural factors are creating a favourable mounting for British dairy exports successful nan Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The region’s organization is growing, incomes are rising and ample investments are being made successful tourism, hospitality and food‑service infrastructure. According to AHDB, MENA is predicted to go nan second‑largest world importer of nutrient by 2031.

In Saudi Arabia nan tourism assemblage is being quickly expanded, and food‑service channels are being developed successful tandem. Retail maturation (including e‑commerce) is besides accelerating successful nan region. These mixed trends are opening caller opportunities for UK exporters of dairy – peculiarly for high‑value, premium products pinch beardown provenance, value and information credentials.

Premium positioning gives a British edge

British dairy exports are being sounded connected nan spot of UK standards of quality, information and provenance. According to AHDB, UK producers are well‑placed to capitalise connected request for added‑value products specified arsenic speciality cheese, butter, whole‑milk powders and others. The caller export ngo to nan Middle East is intended to deepen in‑market engagement – giving UK firms nan chance to meet buyers, understand section user tastes and distribution networks, and build longer‑term partnerships.

What this intends for travel‑industry and food‑service professionals

From a travel‑and‑hospitality viewpoint nan developments are significant: arsenic tourism booms successful nan Middle East, request for much varied and higher‑quality food‑service options is being created. For edifice kitchens, edifice restaurants, high‑end unit and duty‑free outlets, this intends much liking successful imported premium dairy items. For UK producers this intends travel‑industry buyers successful regions specified arsenic Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are progressively applicable arsenic target customers.

The large picture: linking recreation maturation and export demand

The nexus betwixt accrued visitant numbers, enhanced hospitality infrastructure and unit description successful nan Middle East is proving to beryllium a powerful driver of foreign‑food‑import demand. UK dairy exporters are now seizing nan infinitesimal by participating successful missions, attending meetings and promoting merchandise lines tailored to nan region’s evolving needs.

With UK dairy exports already showing robust maturation and nan Middle East marketplace poised for accelerated description , nan intersection of travel, hospitality finance and food‑service maturation makes this an opportune infinitesimal for UK‑based dairy producers. Were you a recreation mag reader, you mightiness spot this arsenic portion of a broader trend: destination improvement successful nan Gulf and MENA not only fuels visitant flows but besides reshapes section nutrient proviso chains, inviting premium world suppliers to rotation up.

Looking ahead

If nan ngo is telling america anything, it’s that face-to-face marketplace engagement is working. UK companies person had nan opportunity to web pinch players successful nan hospitality industry, meet imaginable clients successful nan area, and fortify business ties. In bid to meet changing impermanent expectations, hospitality and tourism professionals should root much premium dairy products, and British dairy exports to nan Middle East should proceed to turn complete nan coming years.

In conclusion, nan British dairy industry’s export thrust to nan Middle East is simply a premier illustration of really investments successful tourism and hospitality tin alteration nan dynamics of nutrient work and unit imports. Demand for high-end, internationally originated equipment is rising on pinch nan region’s tourism economy, and UK dairy seems well-positioned to summation marketplace share.