UAE Minister of State for Food and Water Security Visits Dibba Bay

Local oyster farm sets itself up for growth. Dibba Bay, the first farm in the Middle East to grow gourmet oysters, received a visit from Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri UAE Minister of Food and Water Security recently. The visit involved a tour of the facility located on the East Coast of the UAE in Dibba, Fujairah; where they are growing millions of oysters in the pristine waters of the Gulf of Oman.

Dibba Bay has just completed a new state-of-the-art production facility which is gearing up to produce half a million oysters a month by end of this year. A large percentage of the produce is going for export to countries that include Russia and Hong Kong, as well as other GCC countries.

“Aquaculture is one of the most important areas of agriculture for the UAE as it makes optimum use of our most precious resource – water. The oysters from Dibba bay will help meet the demand on seafood as well as generate revenue from their export to markets abroad, which will benefit the local economy in Fujairah as well as contribute to the national economy.

Expansion into foreign markets is a significant milestone for any local food production company and the increase in production capacity at Dibba Bay will ultimately enhance efforts to reach the UAE’s food security goals – I congratulate Dibba Bay for successfully scaling up its aquaculture operations,” said Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri.

The company has strengthened its production line and brand strategy with a mission crafted to translate its further growth, notably in becoming a global shellfish company.

Achieving this goal will put yet another unique UAE product under the international spotlight and show the ability of the country to continuously innovate.

This visit comes in the wake of many recent initiatives and accomplishments of the company, including:

• The opening of the very first local oyster shop in Dubai. Nestled between the bustling Jumeirah Fish Market and the beautiful Kite Beach, this new outlet will give its customers the satisfaction of tasting a locally grown product while enjoying the sea breeze. This milestone is a major move for Dibba Bay oysters on its mission to bring its fresh oysters directly to everyone’s tables.

• The launch of Dibba Bay oyster deliveries in several neighbourhoods of Dubai allowing customers to order gourmet oysters on demand • Their participation in the Dubai Food Festival offered a sunset shucking experience with the founder of Dibba Bay, Ramie Murray. The experience involved an oyster shucking class, informational session on local oyster farming and indulging in gourmet oysters.

This article has been published on Fujairah Observer Magazine May 2020 to read the digital issue please click on the link:

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