Over the past two years, plant-based food consumption has grown by 49% across the EU, reaching a total sales volume of €3.6 billion.
South Korea opens food trade office in UAE, aims for 10% annual growth
2025-05-15
The South Korean government has established a regional office in the Middle East to accelerate food industry sales in the region, with the goal of growing the sector by 10 percent annually.
The Korea Agro Trade Center opened an office in Abu Dhabi earlier this year with four employees, but according to office director Mysung-Gu Seo, they plan to expand further, possibly regionally.
“Currently, the office in Abu Dhabi manages the Middle East market, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and North Africa. If necessary, we will open other offices in the region,” Seo said.
"The halal food market has grown rapidly in recent years, and South Korea's ties with the Middle East have become increasingly close. As a government company, aT is not selling Korean food, we are just promoting the sales of Korean food in the Middle East - our goal is to grow by 10% every year," he added.
Popular music and TV shows boost food sales
First, Seo says, we need to leverage Korean culture, especially pop music, to boost Korean food sales: "Compared to K-pop, Korean food is less well-known."
In Abu Dhabi, a Korean cultural center has been established with the help of embassy staff. "We will offer Korean cooking classes to promote Korean food and help the Middle East understand Korean food," Seo said.