Lulu’s World Food Festival Takes UAE Shoppers on a Culinary Journey Through Global Flavours.
Abu Dhabi: The aromas of freshly prepared biryani and baked delicacies filled Mall WTC Abu Dhabi on Tuesday evening as Lulu Hypermarket launched the second edition of its World Food Festival, celebrating the UAE’s rich cultural diversity through international cuisine.
The opening event brought together culinary traditions from around the world, reflecting the multicultural communities that call the UAE home.
The festivities began with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a guided tour of food stations featuring dishes representing different countries and cultures.
A traditional biryani dum-opening ceremony added a special touch to the occasion.
Lulu executives, regional directors and business partners attended the launch alongside chief guest Sumaya Obaid, the renowned Emirati celebrity chef and cultural ambassador.
Expressing her excitement about the event, Obaid praised the festival for bringing together a wide variety of international dishes under one roof.
“It is an amazing moment, seeing all these different dishes from all around the world. Always Lulu brings the world together,” Obaid said.
Following the inauguration, guests were invited to sample an assortment of dishes inspired by cuisines from different parts of the world.
Celebrating the UAE’s Multicultural Identity
One of the main highlights of the evening was the introduction of six new food creations from Lulu’s in-house kitchen, showcasing a combination of traditional international recipes and contemporary culinary ideas.
The newly unveiled offerings included Yemeni honeycomb bread, French cream caramel, a lantern cake created by Bake Art, a high-protein hummus bowl, butter chicken pasta and lasagna, and a Korean BBQ chicken rice ball.
The product launch was followed by a celebratory cake-cutting ceremony, during which the chefs responsible for preparing the dishes were invited onto the stage.
Guests applauded the culinary team as they gathered for a group photograph, recognising their contributions to the festival.
Addressing attendees, Amr Mohmed Nizar, Lulu Retail’s regional manager for Abu Dhabi, said the festival highlights the diverse food traditions and cultures that contribute to the UAE’s unique identity.
He described the second season as a celebration of the flavours and cultural influences that make the country distinctive.
Nizar also highlighted the festival’s range of international food selections, promotional offers, live cooking demonstrations and the Lulu Master Chef competition, noting that the programme has activities and experiences designed to appeal to a wide audience.
Chef Sumaya Obaid echoed these sentiments, emphasising how the UAE’s multicultural society brings together residents from different nationalities and backgrounds.
“The UAE is not only for locals. We are sharing this beautiful country, and we are enjoying every minute here,” she said.
Obaid also expressed her appreciation for Lulu’s role in introducing international food products and culinary experiences to UAE shoppers.
“Lulu is a special place for us in the UAE. We trust Lulu to bring us the best. With world food, you are gathering a lot of different nationalities at one table,” she added.
Long-Standing Partnership With Arla Foods
The event also highlighted Lulu’s established partnership with Arla Foods, the company behind Puck, one of the festival’s presenting partners.
Speaking during the launch, Maartje Zegers, Arla Foods’ head of modern trade, emphasised the importance of the collaboration, particularly because Lulu attracts shoppers from a wide range of nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
She noted that the supermarket’s diverse customer base closely aligns with the audiences served by Arla’s popular food brands.
“Where the shopper of the UAE comes is Lulu, and it is such a diverse shopper profile,” Zegers said.
She added that this multicultural customer base makes Lulu an ideal retail partner for Arla products, including Puck and Lurpak.
The festival aims to bring together international flavours, culinary creativity and cultural experiences, offering UAE residents an opportunity to explore food traditions from around the world in one destination.
Speaking to Gulf News, Maartje Zegers highlighted how the World Food Festival brings together shoppers from different cultural backgrounds, reflecting the UAE’s diverse population.
“The beauty of this event is that it caters to Lulu’s shoppers and also to our shoppers, because our shoppers come to shop at Lulu, and it really is not one nationality,” she said.
Zegers added that the festival captures the multicultural spirit of the country, describing it as a reflection of the UAE’s inclusive and diverse society.
When asked which part of the festival had impressed her the most, she immediately pointed to the biryani preparation.
“The biryani. The biryani was amazing. I do not understand how they can cook everything in the store, somewhere in the kitchen. It is pretty impressive,” she told Gulf News.
Lulu Master Chef Competition and Special Festival Offers
The opening celebration also featured the announcement of the Lulu Master Chef competition, providing an opportunity for home cooks across the UAE to demonstrate their culinary talents.
The competition aims to encourage cooking enthusiasts to step into the spotlight and showcase their creativity, techniques and passion for food.
Introducing the competition, the event host encouraged aspiring participants to prepare for the challenge, declaring, “The kitchen is calling and the stage is awaiting,” while urging contestants to “sharpen those knives.”
The Lulu World Food Festival runs from October 26 to November 8 across all Lulu Hypermarket outlets in the UAE, bringing a variety of international food experiences and promotional offers to shoppers.
The festival features an extensive selection of cuisines, including Indian, Arabic, Chinese, Continental and Filipino dishes, allowing customers to explore flavours from different parts of the world.
At selected Lulu locations, international chefs will conduct live cooking demonstrations, offering shoppers an opportunity to watch dishes being prepared and discover different culinary techniques.
Alongside the food celebrations, the retailer is introducing promotional deals across a wide range of product categories.
These include groceries, frozen foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, seafood, delicatessen items, kitchen appliances and household essentials.
Shoppers Can Win Back Their Grocery Bill
As part of the festival, Lulu is also offering customers an opportunity to participate in its “10,000 Trolleys – We Pay Back” promotion.
Shoppers who spend Dh100 can enter the promotion for a chance to win back the value of their shopping trolley.
The initiative adds an additional incentive for customers visiting Lulu stores during the festival period, combining international food experiences with shopping rewards.
Through culinary showcases, cooking competitions, promotional offers and interactive activities, the World Food Festival aims to celebrate the UAE’s multicultural food traditions while bringing shoppers together through their shared appreciation of international cuisine.
