Many of Scotland’s finest food and drink products will gain exposure in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following a unique collaboration between Scottish Development International (SDI) and industry.

Scotland’s international trade and development agency, along with Scotland Food & Drink, has partnered with multi-national retailer Spinneys that will see the products of 19 Scottish famous brands on sale and promoted in the supermarket’s stores across the UAE for two weeks.

Between 17-30 January, consumers will be able to purchase Scottish culinary delights such as Walkers Shortbread, Nairn’s Oatcakes, Baxters soup and chutney and Barrs Irn Bru.  These products will be on sale in Spinneys’ top performing UAE supermarkets.

As well as raising awareness of Scotland’s premium grocery sector in the UAE, it is hoped the initiative will see the number of Scottish brands exporting to the region increase, providing a timely boost to the economy.

Ali S. Ali, Food & Drink Specialist for SDI in the Middle East, said: “Scotland’s produce is renowned in the Middle East for its quality.

“This exciting partnership with one of the region’s largest retailers will further highlight our food and drink industry and increase international sales for companies participating in this project.

“COVID-19 and other pressures have undoubtedly caused difficulties for Scotland’s food and drink exporters, however, the appetite for Scottish products remains strong, particularly here in the UAE.  SDI will continue to work with our partners to find innovative ways to showcase the very best Scotland has to offer in target markets.”

As part of the initiative, approximately 120 tasting/ sampling sessions of Scottish products will take place during the two weekends of the campaign.  To further boost sales, there will be raffle prizes which shoppers of Scottish products at Spinneys can win.

Warwick Gird, General Manager Marketing at Spinneys, said: “We are proud to source a number of great products from Scotland.”

“Spinneys works hard to maintain the highest quality standards for our customers, and the products we source from Scotland are indicative of these standards.”

One of the Scottish companies participating in the initiative will be Nairn’s.  Headquartered in Edinburgh, Nairn’s is thelargest producer of oatcakes in the UK with its products exported to more than 30 countries across the world.

Daniel Crowe, International Sales Manager at Nairn’s, said: “We’re delighted to be working with SDI and Spinneys on this exciting campaign.

“It’s a great opportunity to showcase Nairn’s in the region and introduce new customers to our range of exciting products, all expertly baked in Edinburgh using Scotland’s famous wholegrain oats.”

The Middle East project is part of the Scotland Food & Drink Recovery Plan, a multi-partner initiative, funded by the Scottish Government, to support the sector with a smart recovery from COVID-19 and Brexit.

James Withers, CEO of Scotland Food & Drink, added: “We are hugely ambitious to drive food and drink export growth from Scotland.”

“Our reputation as a Land of Food and Drink is growing globally and projects like this – which form part of a three-year continuous programme of action – are designed to help reach that international audience looking for premium and climate-friendly food and drink.”

The food and drink industry is worth around £15bn (AED 75 billion) each year to Scotland’s economy, with more than 17,000 businesses employing approximately 120,000 people.  Food and drink remains Scotland’s top international export sector, with the latest HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) statistics showing these exports to be worth £6.7bn (AED 33 billion) in 2019.