The emirate also re-exported 6.27m tonnes in shipments, Dubai Municipality said
Dubai imported eight million tonnes of food in 2021 and re-exported 6.27m tonnes in shipments, Dubai Municipality revealed Thursday, WAM reported.
The emirate also issued 78,812 food export health certificates in 2021, and exported 3.27 tonnes of food to 157 countries.
Sultan Al Taher, director of food safety department in Dubai Municipality, said that these figures represent the municipality’s responsibility for the continued flow of food imports to the emirate’s markets, WAM reported, and added that the organisation is working to ensure the smooth flow of goods through the emirate’s ports while following strict procedures.
Al Taher explained that all food items need to be registered within the regulatory system and are subject to food control provisions regarding local and imported foodstuffs. All food can be registered electronically, and the system offers sample results, risk ratios in materials, and dates of sample collection across their locations.
Dubai as a global hub
Dubai, and the wider UAE, is a key link in the global supply chain, and home to some of the biggest ports and port operators in the world.
Shipping was stymied throughout the Covid-19 lockdown as governments ordered national lockdowns, impacting the production of goods. As such, shipping companies found themselves reducing the number of cargo ships sent.
While the global economy has continued to bounce back from the pandemic slump, some challenges in the shipping industry continue, such as an ongoing shortage of shipping containers.
