GCC food waste 14% above global average: How UAE is tackling the crisis
Food waste in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region average 150kg per capita annually which is 14 per cent higher than the global average of 132 kg.
A recent paper titled Tackling Food Waste In The GCC Grocery Market by Oliver Wyman highlighted that food waste levels in the GCC surpass those of many developed economies, exceeding European Union (EU) figures by 38 per cent and nearly doubling Japan's per capita waste.
While retail food waste typically accounts for only five per cent to 15 per cent of total waste in most countries, the GCC's retail sector sees 38 per cent more waste than the global average.
The paper also revealed that the retail sector in the GCC wasted approximately 1.3 million tonnes of food in 2022. This corresponds to an annual loss of approximately $4-7 billion, which is enough to provide an iftar meal for 70 per cent of all Muslims around the world throughout Ramadan.
Given the GCC's heavy reliance on imported food, excessive waste further strains resources and intensifies sustainability challenges.
How UAE is tackling the crisis
Despite the statistics, the UAE remains committed to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 by reducing food loss and waste by 50 per cent by 2030 and beyond. It continues to lead the regional movement for change through the collaborative efforts of ne'ma, the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative.
Ne'ma is partnering with Taste of Dubai to enhance food waste reduction efforts within the UAE's event industry.
Building on the success of their initial collaboration at Taste of Abu Dhabi 2024, ne'ma helped divert 310kg of food waste from landfills, prevented 775kg of CO2e emissions, and generated 62 kg of compost.
When Khaleej Times reached out to food business operators in the UAE to understand what waste reduction strategies are implemented in their establishments, several proprietors highlighted that restaurants here systematically 'track food waste data' through digital monitoring tools and staff logs.
Thomas Schmelter, Area General Manager, IHG Hotels at Dubai Festival City said, 'We actively track and analyse food waste using the Winnow system, which allows us to measure waste by value and weight. Through this, we've observed that targeted improvements — such as adjusting portion sizes and reducing overproduction — significantly lessen waste volumes. These insights have enabled our teams to make smarter decisions daily.'
Schmelter noted that the hotel also works closely with local charities to donate surplus to support the community rather than going to waste.
Culinary teams creatively transforms leftover or surplus items into new menu components.
Abdulla Al Abdulla, chief operating officer and general manager of Central Hotels and Resorts, said: 'We have a structured system for repurposing surplus ingredients into new dishes. The final destination for waste is a new 'waste-to-energy' facility introduced by the Dubai Municipality. With the help of our service partner, we systematically track food waste data through digital monitoring tools and staff logs. Trends observed include higher waste during peak seasons and buffet setups, allowing us to refine menu planning and optimize food preparation accordingly.'
Tracking data, optimising portion, refining menu
Based on data analysis and guest feedback, restaurants also optimise portion sizes and refined menu offerings to minimise waste, while maintaining guest satisfaction.
'Our à la carte menu includes flexible portion options, and we use seasonal ingredients to avoid excess inventory. We proactively manage ingredients nearing expiration by repurposing them into soups, sauces, and special dishes. Additionally, we donate safe and consumable food to local charities and ensure that unavoidable waste is composted or sustainably disposed of,' added Abdulla.
Meanwhile, the paper also focused that finding the right balance between availability and food waste is one of the key challenges in food retail.
Sagar Khanna, Operations Head, Querida, a Mexican restaurant said, 'We have done specials in the menu when we have surplus ingredients: flautas, enfrijoladas, empanadas, rice. We can make new dishes for the day and offer to our guests more variety of food. When something like this happens, we stop ordering from another dish so we can finish our surplus and not having wastage in the restaurant.'
He added: 'In case it is an ingredient that we cannot work out in the menu we have a lot of nationalities in our restaurant and they for sure can make something for staff meal and we can all enjoy the delicious options from different parts of the world.'
Select items across restaurants are batch-cooked and frozen for future use as well.
Additionally, F&B owners pointed out that menu flexibility allows restaurants to respond to consumption trends while keeping waste low.
Isheeta Sharma, Founder, Daftar DIFC said, 'We follow FIFO (first in, first out) protocols, label ingredients for accurate tracking, and design our menu to utilise common ingredients across multiple dishes. This ensures optimal usage and reduces the likelihood of spoilage or discard. Near-expiry items are repurposed into daily specials.'
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