Global Food Week 2025 Signals a New Era of Plant-Based and Alternative Protein Innovation in the Middle East
Global Food Week 2025 in Abu Dhabi marked more than a celebration of ideas. It became a launchpad for concrete action, positioning plant-based innovation and alternative proteins at the heart of the region’s food security strategy. Leaders emphasized that cultivated proteins, fermentation-based foods, and plant-rich diets are no longer distant concepts but urgent solutions for a Middle East facing climate stress, water scarcity, and shifting consumer expectations
Nestlé Commits to Plant‑Based Growth; Advances Net Zero Agenda in UAE
Nestlé is relocating its Middle East and North Africa headquarters to Expo City Dubai in 2025, placing itself at the heart of the UAE’s Green Innovation District alongside organizations driving sustainability and circular economy solutions. This move aligns with Nestlé’s recent commitment to plant‑based growth, a shift that marks more than a corporate milestone. For decades, global food giants have been tied to animal‑based supply chains and practices often criticized as environmentally damaging and ethically questionable. By setting measurable plant‑based targets, participating in the FAIRR initiative, and embedding these goals into Dubai’s innovation hub, Nestlé signals that the future of food in the Middle East is turning toward sustainability, innovation, and ethical consciousness.
Ships of Suffering: 3,000 Cattle Trapped by Live Export off Turkey
For weeks, nearly 3,000 cattle have been stranded aboard the Spiridon II off Turkey’s coast. Denied entry on October 21, 2025, after veterinary inspectors discovered missing ear tags, absent electronic ID chips, and mismatched records for 469 animals, the ship has remained anchored offshore, unable to unload its cargo. On November 8–9, the vessel was briefly allowed to dock to load fodder and bedding, only to be forced back out to sea. By mid‑November, conditions had worsened: animals confined in cramped, unsanitary spaces, food and water running low, and reports of between 48 and 58 cattle dead. Many of the heifers are pregnant, raising fears of miscarriages and further suffering. Footage from the deck shows white bags believed to contain dead bodies, a haunting image of lives lost to bureaucracy and profit.
Oman’s First Plant-Based Meat Startup Prepares for Market Launch
Developed under Sultan Qaboos University’s Scientific Incubator Programme, Nabatenio blends cultural insight with nutritional science to offer a sustainable alternative to conventional meat. Led by student entrepreneur Deena Said al Kalbani, the startup has created one of Oman’s first vegan meat substitutes, now poised for commercial launch, as reported by Muscat Daily.
Gaza’s fallen healer: Honoring Dr. Moaz Abo Rokba’s Legacy of Relentless Animal Care
Dr. Moaz Abo Rokba, a 30-year-old veterinarian in Gaza, was known for his relentless commitment to animal care. He was one of the few professionals in the region trained to perform surgical procedures on animals including complex operations. Even after being displaced and losing his clinic, he refused to stop helping injured animals—performing surgeries in the streets, collaborating with rescue groups, and continuing his work under fire. Dr. Moaz was killed by an Israeli airstrike on the first day of the ceasefire in October 2025, while returning to Jabalia to assess damage in his neighborhood. His wife, Rania Abu al-Foul, said, “Everyone in Gaza knew Moaz was innocent. He was only trying to heal animals. And yet, they killed him.”
Global Food Week 2025 Concludes with a Bold Vision for Plant-Based Protein in the Middle East
Global Food Week 2025 has officially wrapped in Abu Dhabi, leaving behind a clear message: the future of food in the Middle East is plant-powered, sustainable, and technologically driven. With the UAE unveiling its renewed National Food Security Strategy and spotlighting plant-based and cultivated proteins, the event marked a turning point for advocates of sustainable and climate-resilient food systems.
Abu Dhabi’s Leap Toward Animal-Free Proteins: A Turning Point for Ethical Food Systems
In a region where food security and sustainability are urgent priorities, Abu Dhabi is making headlines with a bold move: partnering with precision fermentation pioneers Vivici and The Every Company to build a massive animal-free protein facility. Backed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, this four-million-litre plant will produce dairy and egg proteins—without cows or chickens.
NÜITREE’s Plant-Based Beverage Revolution: Expanding Ethical Nourishment Across the Middle East
In Dubai Investment City, a quiet revolution is brewing — one that could reshape how the Middle East nourishes itself. At the heart of it is plant-based milk: a symbol of ethical innovation, sustainability, and regional pride. NÜITREE, the region’s first dedicated plant-based beverage company, has partnered with SIG Group to scale production of plant-based milks and other vegan beverages across the UAE and beyond. This isn’t just industrial progress. It’s a cultural shift toward compassion, clean nutrition, and Middle Eastern leadership in ethical food systems.
Abu Dhabi Hosts the Future of Food: Protein Alternatives Take Center Stage at Global Food Week 2025
Abu Dhabi is about to make history. From October 21–23, the UAE capital will host Global Food Week 2025—a dynamic convergence of innovators, investors, and changemakers reshaping the future of food. But this year, something extraordinary is unfolding: for the first time, the Middle East will see a dedicated platform for alternative proteins, spotlighting lab-grown meat, plant-based breakthroughs, and other futuristic solutions that challenge the status quo.
Qatar Launches First University Program on Sustainable Food Systems and Plant-Based Awareness
In a landmark move for sustainability and plant-based education, Qatar has introduced the region’s first accredited university course dedicated to Sustainable Food Systems. Led by Ghanim Al-Sulaiti—vegan entrepreneur, advocate, and founder of Enbat Group—the program is a collaboration between MIE–SPPU Institute of Higher Education (Doha), Earthna’s Qatar Sustainability Week, the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Sustainability (under Dr. Cory Flynn), and Enbat Group.
NS Leathers: Saudi Arabia’s 100% Vegan Fashion Label Leading the Ethical Style Revolution
In a region where tradition meets innovation, NS Leathers has emerged as a bold voice for cruelty-free luxury. Founded in 2019, the brand proudly identifies as a “VEGAN LABEL SINCE 2019”, making it one of the first in Saudi Arabia to fully commit to vegan materials across its entire product line.
Rooted in Sustainable Responsibility: How Rove Hotels Is Redefining Hospitality in the Middle East
In a region rich with tradition yet ripe for transformation, Rove Hotels is crafting a new hospitality narrative — one that blends environmental stewardship with cultural consciousness. Through its purposeful partnership with Greener Food, a non-profit spearheading plant-based and sustainable reform across the Middle East and North Africa, Rove is not simply adjusting practices — it’s challenging conventions. From composting and energy-saving systems to culturally attuned food waste initiatives, Rove is becoming a sanctuary for eco-living wrapped in warm hospitality.
Exposing the Trade: What Middle Eastern Consumers Should Know About Live Animal Exports
As global awareness of animal welfare grows, a troubling issue has resurfaced—one that directly implicates trade routes to the Middle East. The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) in South Africa has issued a strong condemnation of proposed government regulations that would allow live animal exports by sea, including shipments to the Middle East during the hottest months of the year.
From Nature to Performance: Squatwolf’s Plant-Based Neotech Collection Is Changing the Game in Middle Eastern Sportswear
In a region where athletic ambition meets extreme climate, a Dubai-born brand is rewriting the rules of workout gear. Squatwolf’s new Neotech collection is the first in the Middle East to fuse plant-based fibers with cutting-edge performance technology, offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based synthetics.
Baklava, Blossom, and Boldness: Beirut Chocolate Breaks the Mold with Plant-Based Flair and Global Curiosity
Handcrafted in London and inspired by Beirut, this chocolate bar blends Lebanese nostalgia with plant-based innovation. Created by Phil Khoury—former Harrod’s pastry chef and author of A New Way to Bake—Beirut Chocolate sold out within hours of its first release, with early batches shipped internationally to test packaging and logistics.
Morocco’s New Animal Welfare Law vs. FIFA-Driven Practices: A Call for Humane Alignment
As Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, a disturbing contradiction has emerged. A newly proposed law promises fines and jail time for harming stray animals, yet videos and eyewitness accounts from August 2025 show sterilized, tagged dogs being poisoned and shot in the streets. This raises a difficult question: how can Morocco’s commitment to animal welfare be reconciled with the continued reports of cruelty on the ground?
Vegan Luxury Expands into Saudi Arabia: Hourglass Cosmetics Donates 5% to Animal Welfare
In a powerful blend of glamour and compassion, Hourglass Cosmetics has officially entered the Saudi Arabian market, bringing with it not just cruelty-free elegance but a bold commitment to animal welfare. As part of its global Unlocked Collection initiative, the brand donates 5% of annual net profits from these products to the Nonhuman Rights Project, an organization working to secure better legal protections for animals.
Out of Water, Into Agony: New Study Reveals the Hidden Torment of Fish
By now, most of us understand that animals feel pain. But when it comes to aquatic life, this understanding often dissolves like salt in water. A groundbreaking study published in Scientific Reports has exposed the harrowing reality too often ignored: the prolonged suffering fish endure when pulled from water. Led by Cynthia Schuck-Paim of the Welfare Footprint Institute, the research quantifies what was long felt intuitively by animal advocates. When fish, particularly rainbow trout, are removed from water and left to die by asphyxiation—a common commercial practice—they can experience up to 22 minutes of intense pain.
Eid Al-Adha 2025: The Great Escape—Terrified Animals Make a Desperate Dash to Escape Their Fate
As the annual festival of Eid Al-Adha unfolds, viral footage of animals desperately fleeing their fate has sparked renewed debate about the ethical implications of traditional sacrifices. This year, across various regions, cows, sheep, and goats have been seen breaking free, causing traffic jams and public safety incidents, but more importantly, serving as a stark visual reminder of their will to survive. While for many, the practice holds deep cultural and spiritual significance, growing awareness of animal sentience and rights has led to a push for compassionate alternatives, with efforts like the Vegan Islam Initiative advocating ethical approaches rooted in Islamic teachings.