AGP Executive Report

Celebrity Chef Tie-Up: PepsiCo is using Gordon Ramsay to build “Doritos Loaded” recipes for restaurants and hospitality, signaling how major food brands are chasing trust and new consumption occasions via culinary authority. Reusable Packaging Push: A coalition has launched a new global reuse symbol (PR3) to help consumers and operators identify reusable cups, bottles and return systems—positioning reuse as more than just recycling. UAE Dining Tech: Deliveroo UAE rolled out in-app restaurant reservations powered by SevenRooms, aiming to shift the platform from delivery discovery to booked dining experiences. Saudi Hospitality Marketing: Shangri-La Jeddah appointed Lina Khan as Director of Marketing & Communications, with a mandate spanning brand strategy and PR for the luxury property. Foodservice Demand Shift: UK data shows delivery sales holding up while takeaway/click-and-collect keeps sliding for the 13th straight month, reshaping how operators plan menus and channels. Sustainable Aviation Feedstock: Japan is ramping “Fry to Fly” used-cooking-oil collection as SAF supply remains tiny, linking household food waste to airline decarbonisation. Middle East-Linked Cost Pressure: Thailand’s inflation rose again in May, with prepared food costs climbing as fuel and transport pressures tied to Middle East tensions feed through to shoppers.

Lebanon Ceasefire Fallout: A US-brokered Israel–Lebanon ceasefire is being rejected by Hezbollah, with fighting continuing and deepening Lebanon’s sectarian rifts—an unstable backdrop for food supply and hospitality recovery. Dubai Clinical Nutrition Congress: MEAPEN 2026 opened in Dubai, drawing 500+ healthcare professionals to push enteral and parenteral nutrition and patient-centered care. UAE Health-Tech Deal: TriCelX Arabia’s UAE joint venture with ADCAN Pharma and DAS Holding aims to bring biotherapeutics to the GCC in two phases, including regional manufacturing in Abu Dhabi. Foodservice & Retail Moves: DoorDash expands commerce media with LiveRamp-linked ad formats and a premium “Spotlight” placement; c-store operators also face affordability pressure as executives discuss how F&B innovation can drive traffic. Market Signals: Gift cards are forecast to surge to US$2,220.6bn by 2033 on digital payments and loyalty tie-ins, while yeast extract demand grows on clean-label and plant-based flavor needs. Israel Food Industry Spotlight: A kosher restaurant in Miami wins a Michelin star, underscoring how Jewish culinary brands keep breaking into mainstream fine dining.

Saudi Culinary Spotlight: Gault&Millau Saudi Arabia officially launches its first guide after a June 2 gala in Riyadh, featuring nearly 250 restaurants across Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla, Abha and Dammam, positioning the Yellow Guide as a new national benchmark for Saudi gastronomy. UAE Hospitality & Real Estate: Dubai’s Sweid & Sweid signs The Executive Centre to operate 53,000 sq ft of premium flexible workspace at Sweid One in JLT/DMCC, reflecting continued demand for hospitality-led office setups. Tourism & Resorts: The Maldives is set for a new luxury resort boom, with major brands and branded residences expanding as a new international airport boosts access and arrivals. Food Safety & Crisis: Delhi’s Malviya Nagar hotel-restaurant fire kills at least 21, with Delhi Police arresting hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj amid allegations of missing fire approvals and safety lapses. Labor Rights Alarm (Turkey): Turkey’s MESEM vocational program faces renewed backlash after a 16-year-old food-services student died in a pastry-shop internship, fueling claims of child labor normalization and workplace deaths. Gulf Development: Umm Al Qura for Development & Construction announces award letters for Masar Gardens (Hindawiya West/South) under its 2026–2030 strategy, expanding its multi-destination urban platform in Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah.

World Cup Brand Play: Coca-Cola’s near-five-decade FIFA tie gets a fresh boost as the World Cup trophy tour lands in the U.S., keeping the tournament top-of-mind for global food and drink marketers. Sports Drinks & Functional Hydration: Coca-Cola-owned Bodyarmor launches Bodyarmor Fit, its first sparkling sports drink with electrolytes, caffeine, and added functional ingredients—aiming to modernize a crowded category. Kosher Certification Policy: Israel’s Knesset advances a bill to cancel the 2021 kashrut reform, a move that could reshape competition in official kosher certification and potentially affect food pricing. Food Prices & Competition: A U.S. antitrust settlement bars Agri Stats from sharing sensitive data among meat processors, spotlighting how consolidation and coordination can pressure grocery costs. Gulf Hospitality Resilience: Reporting from Saudi Arabia suggests parts of the hospitality and restaurant sector are still expanding despite regional conflict-driven disruptions. Trade & Halal Food: Türkiye’s FM meets Indonesia’s president, with both sides pushing a $10bn trade target and discussing cooperation that includes the halal food industry. Safety Shock: A deadly New Delhi hotel fire—linked to alleged overcapacity and missing clearances—highlights how food-and-guest venues face rising operational risk.

Egypt F&B Events: The Brasserie Lakeview in Egypt is set for a one-night-only Chef’s Dinner on June 9 with a five-course, eight-dish tasting menu plus live jazz, led by the venue’s award-winning executive chef. Egypt Trade & Processing: Egypt’s Industry and Supply ministers inaugurated Fi Africa and ProPak MENA 2026 (June 2–4), spotlighting food processing and packaging tech as key drivers for industrial value chains and exports. Saudi Tourism & Hospitality: Saudi Arabia wrapped an epidemic-free Hajj 1447 AH in May, using AI and robotics to serve 1.7 million pilgrims, underscoring tech-enabled hospitality capacity. Lebanon Food Loss: Lebanese chef Husen Fayad says Israeli bombardment destroyed his family resort and restaurant Arch al-Moulouk in south Lebanon, wiping out a major culinary and tourism landmark. Regional Food Security Angle: Coverage highlights how the Iran conflict is reshaping food supply chains and pushing up costs, with knock-on effects for travel and demand. Industry Markets: New reports project growth in sorbitol, kopi luwak coffee, and industrial food milling—signals of continued demand for sweeteners, premium coffee experiences, and processed-food production. Food Culture Export Idea: Malaysia’s kopitiam concept is being pitched as an exportable dining identity that could boost tourism branding and food entrepreneurship abroad.

Gaza Under Eid: Israel’s attacks continued despite a ceasefire, killing at least 33 Palestinians and wounding 130 from May 27-30, with reports of strikes on medical staff and families visiting graves. Food Supply Shock: Analysis links the Middle East conflict to higher fertilizer and energy costs, disrupted Gulf exports via the Strait of Hormuz, and rising risks of hunger and food-price pressure. Hajj Logistics & Food/Drink Supply: Saudi Arabia declared the 1447 AH Hajj epidemic-free, highlighting AI crowd control, robotics for medical care, and large-scale delivery of 712M+ food and beverage items plus major sanitation operations. Saudi Hospitality Startup Push: Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Saudi Arabia’s Startup Den returns in Riyadh, with finalists pitching hospitality and tourism solutions for mentorship and funding. Turkey Sustainability Drive: Istanbul’s Zero Waste Festival runs June 1-7, aiming to cut waste and boost resource efficiency across the city. Coffee Volatility Watch: IFF flags coffee’s demand resilience but warns innovation will be shaped by raw-material price swings and climate-driven supply disruptions. Market Confidence Signals: Thailand’s central bank says Middle East tensions are weighing on food and beverage via packaging costs and shipping delays, even as hotel/restaurant confidence edges up.

Packaging & Supply Chain: Japanese snack maker Calbee is rolling out black-and-white “oil-saving” packaging for key items like Kappa Ebisen shrimp crackers, citing uncertainty over Middle East-linked naphtha supplies used in plastics and printing inks. Hospitality Entrepreneurship: Saudi Arabia’s Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) brings back its Startup Den for 2026, with finalists pitching hospitality and tourism innovations and a winner set for Dubai’s FHS World. Food Culture & Sustainability: Turkey’s Turkish Cuisine Week spotlights “The Heritage Table,” framing regional cooking traditions as a cultural “language” passed down through families. Middle East Conflict Pressure on Food Aid: UK charity Felix warns demand for food banks has surged since the Iran war began, with many providers facing closure without surplus food support. World Cup Food Tourism: A Seattle Middle Eastern restaurant is hoping Egypt’s 2026 FIFA team visits to try its signature koshari ahead of matches. Inflation Watch: South Korea’s inflation accelerated, with analysts pointing to Middle East conflict spillovers via energy and broader price pressures.

MENA Dining Rankings: Egypt’s Khufu’s was named No.1 restaurant in the Middle East and North Africa for 2026, with Dubai-based Kinoya (2nd), Trèsind Studio (3rd) and Orfali Bros (4th) also dominating the top ranks. Tourism & Hospitality: Dubai is “back to normal” on operations after regional conflict, but passenger numbers at Dubai International Airport still lag pre-conflict levels, keeping pressure on hotels and airlines to win travellers back. North Africa F&B Openings: GiGi is set to open in Diplo on Egypt’s North Coast on July 1, adding an all-day format with beach access and sea views. Food Prices Watch: A new report flags tomato prices up about 40% year-on-year in the US, driven by fuel/shipping costs and tariffs—another reminder of how conflict-linked logistics can hit food budgets. Dairy Demand: Record US dairy exports are absorbing higher milk production, helping keep cheese and butter inventories below the five-year average. Restaurant Scene: A Turkish grill in Birkenhead, Charcool Turkish Grill & Bar, has closed for refurbishment after selling the site to new owners.

Iran-war cost squeeze on tourism: Soaring jet fuel and energy costs tied to the Iran conflict are hitting Southeast Asia’s summer travel demand, with flight cancellations and higher ticket prices threatening economies that rely heavily on visitors. Middle East conflict and groceries: Separate coverage highlights how war-driven price pressure is feeding into everyday food costs, squeezing households and travel budgets. Egypt dining scene shifts: A look at Egypt’s rising independent chefs says the country’s fine-dining culture is moving from “positioning” to experimentation and more direct, experience-led concepts. Food authenticity crackdown: The UK’s Food Standards Agency reports undeclared species in meat products, including goat meat containing mutton—another reminder for supply-chain controls. Kosher milestone: Miami’s Mutra becomes the first kosher restaurant to win a Michelin star, spotlighting Middle Eastern flavors going global. Japan food inflation: Japan expects broad June price hikes across 1,000+ food and beverage items, linked to supply crunches tied to the Iran crisis.

Food Authenticity Crackdown: The UK Food Standards Agency says DNA tests found 73 meat and fish products with undeclared species, including goat meat containing mutton and beef pepperoni with 73.2% chicken DNA—another reminder that “what’s on the menu” can be a supply-chain gamble. Middle East Conflict & Prices: A report links the Iran war to higher living costs and grocery pressure, with fuel and logistics costs feeding into food bills across the region. Hospitality Under Pressure: A separate piece on tourism-dependent economies warns that war-driven energy shocks and jet-fuel costs are hitting travel demand, threatening visitor spending that many food and beverage operators rely on. Regional Dining Culture: An Eid Al Adha 2026 activation at Printemps Paris targets Middle Eastern shoppers with Arabic-speaking service, VIP access and storewide discounts—showing how F&B and retail are tailoring experiences for Gulf customers. UAE Lifestyle Retail: New Balance launches a UAE-only 1080v15 trainer in UAE flag colors, reflecting the growing trend of regional brand collaborations that spill into lifestyle and consumer spending.

Middle East F&B & Hospitality: Bahrain and Thailand used THAIFEX–ANUGA ASIA 2026 to push food trade ties, with talks on logistics integration, warehouse standardization and food innovation aimed at Gulf Cooperation Council markets. Saudi Tourism & Dining: Saudi’s Red Sea is being marketed as a new luxury playground, with new ultra-luxe hotels and the ADRENA adventure district drawing international attention. Saudi Hospitality Launch: The Red Sea EDITION is adding anãsa, a modern Greek restaurant and bar by Saudi chef Basma El Khereiji, previewing through May 31 with fire-cooked seafood sharing plates and shisha. Egypt Food Production: Miyāh Farm near Cairo is supplying restaurants and hotels with hydroponically grown produce, pitching higher yields and climate-resilient sourcing for B2B buyers. Regional Food Security: A long read highlights how conflict is dismantling food systems across the Middle East, from supply disruptions to strain on livelihoods. Lebanon Context: Reports of renewed raids and destruction in southern Lebanon underscore ongoing instability affecting local communities and food access.

Kosher fine-dining milestone: Israeli chef Raz Shabtai’s Mutra in North Miami became the first kosher restaurant to earn a Michelin star, with the Michelin Guide praising its “Jerusalem cuisine” approach and farm-to-table style. Halal market spotlight: THAIFEX–Anuga Asia 2026 in Bangkok highlighted five 2026 halal trends, from “conscious halal” supply-chain transparency to health-led, inclusive and delivery-friendly formats—plus demand from Middle East tourists. Local F&B innovation in Egypt: Miyāh Farm near Cairo is supplying restaurants and hotels with sustainably grown matcha and produce via hydroponics, aiming to scale B2B supply as climate pressure rises. Food prices pressure: In the UK, gluten-free bread is nearing £4 for a small branded loaf, raising concerns that medical diets are becoming “a luxury.” Corporate HR in Nigeria’s drinks sector: Nigerian Breweries appointed Nkechi Runsewe as Human Resources Director effective Aug 1, 2026, to support its EverGreen 2030 execution. Hospitality diplomacy: Turkey’s Embassy in Cairo hosted Turkish Cuisine Week gala dinners featuring classic dishes like dolma, mantı and baklava, under the theme “Heritage on One Table.”

Michelin Spotlight (Middle East-linked diaspora dining): Miami’s Mutra—Israeli chef Raz Shabtai’s modern Middle Eastern concept—became the world’s first kosher restaurant to earn a Michelin Star after the 2026 Florida guide expanded statewide. Industry & Operations (Middle East supply chain pressure): A new report on microfiltered milk systems points to continued dairy-processing investment as demand for safer, longer-lasting products rises. Local Growth (Nigeria coffee): Nigeria unveiled a 10-year coffee revival plan to rebuild the sector, push value addition (roasting, processing, branding) and strengthen export competitiveness across 14 producing states. Hospitality & Tourism (Saudi luxury): Raffles Hotels & Resorts opened Raffles Jeddah on the Corniche, positioning the new landmark for Vision 2030-driven luxury tourism. Food & Culture (Lebanon conflict impact): A weekend essay highlights how conflict is dismantling Middle East food systems—hitting land access, water infrastructure and supply routes—turning meals into a fragile lifeline. F&B Tech (regional expansion): Sagtec Global agreed to buy a 40% stake in Malaysia’s Malaya Heritage to deploy its smart ordering, AI and digital payment tools across restaurant operations.

Middle East Cost Pressure on Food: Iran’s inflation despair is hitting everyday dining out, with restaurant prices jumping sharply (a coffee at a Tehran venue up 56% in five months) as conflict-driven costs squeeze household budgets. Supply-Chain Spillover: Japan expects June price hikes across 1,078 food and beverage items, blaming Middle East-linked supply crunches (naphtha) that feed chemical production for food packaging and processing. Retail Under Strain: An Australian retailer CEO warns that businesses that raise prices too fast in a high-inflation environment risk going broke, citing fuel-cost shocks tied to the Iran war. Local F&B Resilience in the Region: Cyprus tourism is cautiously rebounding for summer after a mid-conflict visitor dip, with hotels reporting renewed bookings and wineries hosting trade tastings to reassure agents. Industry Market Watch: The global lactose market is projected to grow from $3.1bn (2026) to $4.6bn by 2033, supported by pharma demand and infant formula production.

Plastic Pollution & Packaging: Iraq’s plastic waste problem is worsening as consumption rises but recycling stays below 20%, with most plastic ending up in unregulated dumpsites along the Tigris and Euphrates and bottled drinks/food containers driving daily use. Food Culture & Records: Erbil entered Guinness after “Kas Azadi” cooked a 2.672-ton shawarma skewer, then distributed 4,000 free sandwiches to service institutions and humanitarian partners. Hospitality & Foodservice Demand: FIFA World Cup fever is spilling into food and beverage planning, from Philadelphia’s long FIFA Fan Festival watch parties to Foxborough’s stadium fan experience with vendor food, beer and wine licensing rules. Industry Pressure: UK food and drink manufacturers’ confidence fell sharply in Q1 2026, with Iran-war-linked supply disruptions, higher energy costs, and pricier plastic packaging feeding expectations of further cost pressure. Supply Chain Shock (Chemicals to Food): Japan’s naphtha imports from the Middle East plunged as shipping disruptions hit the Strait of Hormuz, forcing some food and beverage brands to simplify packaging and raise prices. Convenience & Fandom: DoorDash’s World Cup push shows how delivery brands are leaning into “fandom moments,” betting that sports sponsorship can drive repeat ordering behavior.

Middle East Conflict & Grocery Costs: A new report warns that conflict-driven supply-chain strain is pushing up raw material prices (up ~8–10%) and could trigger further food and home-care price hikes and even grammage cuts across the region. Eid & Hospitality in the Gulf: Bahrain hotels are rolling out Eid Al Adha dining packages—from Four Seasons’ Bahrain Bay brunch to Ritz-Carlton beachfront football nights and Hilton Bahrain’s Origin Kitchen celebrations—showing how hotels are leaning on festive menus to drive traffic. Food Culture & Tourism Spotlight: Türkiye’s Bozcaada has been named by National Geographic among the “best places for food right now,” highlighting its Aegean cuisine and winemaking draw for visitors. Market Watch: Specialty salts are forecast to keep growing on clean-label and wellness demand, while seafood industry players are gearing up for Seafood Expo Asia/Seafood Processing Asia in Singapore in September. Business & Supply Chain Pressure: Transport firm Mainfreight flagged disruption tied to the Middle East conflict and higher fuel pricing as it reported weaker full-year profit.