Now Scottish beef is on the menu in the United Arab Emirates

While clarity is still being sought by red meat promotional body Quality Meat Scotland on the detail of some of the stipulations required to achieve certification, Laurent Vernet, their head of marketing, said the development presented an exciting potential opportunity for Scotch Beef exporters.

“We are delighted with the news. The UAE offers exciting potential for Scotch Beef,” said Vernet, who attended last year’s Gulfood event in Dubai, one of the largest food and drink trade shows in the world.” The UAE has a population of around 8.3 million, including a large number of expatriates, and the world’s highest net migration rate. The UAE is also one of the world’s fastest growing tourist destinations, with more than nine million visitors expected to travel to Dubai and other parts of the UAE this year, up 9 per cent on last year.

“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,” said Vernet.

The UK has an existing health certificate for the export of lamb to the UAE and while no Scotch Lamb is currently exported to this market, Vernet predicted the opening of the market to Scotch Beef might well lead to increased interest in Scotch Lamb from the market.

Scottish Government cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead also welcomed the move, describing it as excellent news for the red meat sector and “good news for the people of the United Arab Emirates who will be able to enjoy quality Scotch Beef alongside the quality Scottish Salmon which recent export figures show they relish.”

ANDREW ARBUCKLE