The region's dairy producers are increasing production to cater to growing demand and developing new milk products to attract customers.
Milk producers say the key to sales growth is in targeting consumers with specific health concerns. Fonterra Middle East will launch a milk product in the region that is fortified to help women who have osteoporosis, said Amr Farghal, its marketing general manager.
In a related move, Al Ain Dairy will offer a special low-sugar, low-calorie milk product in two to three months, said Shashi Kumar, the company's head of sales and marketing.
"I think it's a need for this place and time," he said. "People are very heath conscious and especially in the UAE, where health issues such as diabetes are on the rise." He said milk retailers were looking for new segments in which to cater.
Almarai, which already has fortified milk and low-calorie products, recently introduced a fermented milk product called "Trim" aimed at helping people lose weight and break down fat cells, said Hussam Abdul Qader, its general manager.
"In milk, we already have a 60 per cent market share (in Saudi Arabia)," he said. "So the way to expand is to start looking for all these issues within drinkers and non-drinkers of milk."
Fonterra has experienced "strong double-digit growth" in the UAE this year and has doubled its revenues since 2006, said Mr Farghal. To cash in on the growing demand, the company bought the final 51 per cent stake of a plant in Saudi Arabia this month from Saudi New Zealand Dairy Products to gain full ownership.
Its competitors are not standing still. Al Ain Dairy has spent Dh4 million (US$1.1m) on two new production systems at its plant, boosting its production of yogurt and fermented milk products by 40 per cent. Almarai signed a joint venture deal with the US foods company PepsiCo earlier this year that will result in its milk products being distributed across the MENA region as well as South East Asia.
Mr Kumar said Al Ain Dairy had 9 per cent sales growth in milk so far this year compared with the same period last year. The company has experienced slowing demand late in the year, he said.
"After the Formula One race [in November]demand sort of settled down," he said. "We do not see an encouraging trend in the last two months."
Profits at Almarai have risen at least 22 per cent in the first three quarters compared with the same period of last year, said Mr Abdul Qader. The near-record growth stems from increased investment in distribution and marketing as well as higher demand, he said.
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Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
