Latest news with #Sartoris
Arabian Business
19-04-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Dubai fine dining boom drives record demand for local UAE oyster producer Dibba Bay
Dibba Bay Oysters, the UAE's premier aquaculture operation, is experiencing unprecedented demand growth driven by Dubai's rapidly expanding fine dining sector and wealth migration into the Emirates, according to company executives. The Fujairah-based producer, which currently commands approximately 55 per cent of the UAE oyster market, has benefited significantly from the recent surge in high-end restaurant openings across the region. This comes as Dubai has seen a remarkable rise in new fine dining establishments over the past two years, with international luxury restaurant chains entering the market and homegrown brands expanding abroad. The city has rapidly evolved into a global culinary destination, attracting prestigious restaurant brands from around the world while nurturing local concepts that are now finding success in overseas markets. Andrea Sartoris, who assumed the role of General Manager at Dibba Bay in January, has observed this transformation firsthand. During the first five months of 2024 alone, over 1,500 new food establishments opened in Dubai. By mid-2024, the total number of food establishments in the emirate stood at 26,000, according to Gulf News, with globally reputable chains entering the UAE market in record numbers. Founded in 2016, Dibba Bay has grown to employ nearly 95 staff and operates multiple offshore concessions in Fujairah waters. The company reports that 75-80 per cent of its local sales come from the hospitality sector, with the remainder through retail channels including Spinneys, Waitrose, and Carrefour, as well as direct-to-consumer options through food delivery aggregators like Talabat and Careem. Wealth migration Dubai's explosive growth in premium dining establishments has created fertile ground for luxury food products. This surge corresponds directly with the UAE's strategic positioning as a safe haven for global wealth, attracting ultra-high-net-worth individuals from Europe, Russia, and Asia. Since 2022, the UAE has seen one of the world's highest net inflows of millionaires and billionaires, with Dubai alone welcoming thousands of new wealthy residents, bringing sophisticated palates and expectations for world-class dining experiences. 'A lot of restaurants, mainly fine dining restaurants, are trying to stress more premium seafood products,' Sartoris explained. 'Oysters definitely are the core of this category where they can upsell. The oyster is considered a lifestyle product, so several restaurants are trying to add this type of product to their menu to increase the average bill — even those whose core is not seafood.' This trend has proven particularly beneficial for Dibba Bay, which has seen demand surge in parallel with Dubai's restaurant boom. 'We've definitely seen an increase in demand from establishments in Dubai,' Sartoris confirmed. Freshness advantage Dibba Bay's unique selling proposition centres on freshness, with the company delivering oysters to customers within 24 hours of harvesting—a stark contrast to imported alternatives. 'If we look at international products like French oysters, it usually takes time. There is air freight, there is a massive cold chain. Usually international oysters are already three to five days old when they arrive here, and the shelf life of the oyster is only 10 days,' Sartoris explained. This freshness advantage has proven crucial for high-end restaurants where quality and consistency are paramount. With deliveries three times weekly throughout the UAE, Dibba Bay ensures that even the most demanding chefs receive product at its peak condition. The company has also observed an interesting correlation between oyster and caviar demand. 'Usually when there is caviar, there is also oyster,' noted Sartoris. 'There are no restaurants that serve oysters but don't have caviar in their menu.' This connection has further cemented Dibba Bay's position within Dubai's luxury dining ecosystem, as chefs increasingly pair the two premium items on their menus. For the emirate's growing population of ultra-high-net-worth individuals — many of whom hail from Russia and other regions where caviar is particularly revered — these pairings represent the pinnacle of gastronomic indulgence. From pearls to premium oysters Dibba Bay's success represents a modern evolution of the UAE's maritime heritage. Long before oil transformed the UAE into a global powerhouse, pearl diving formed the backbone of the coastal economy, with divers plunging into the warm Gulf waters in search of natural pearls for royalty and aristocrats worldwide. When the cultured pearl industry and the Great Depression delivered a crushing blow to this trade in the early 20th century, many feared the Emirates' maritime expertise would be lost to history. Dibba Bay has now repurposed this aquatic knowledge for luxury seafood production. 'When Dibba Bay Oyster brand was launched, offshore aquaculture in the UAE was largely uncharted territory,' Sartoris noted. 'A lot of people were not aware oysters could thrive in these waters.' Sustainability focus The local production model offers significant sustainability benefits. 'Our farming methods are 100 per cent natural,' said Sartoris. 'We don't use feeding, no chemicals, and we don't use fresh water. Our oysters are always in seawater.' Each oyster filters up to 170 litres of seawater daily, meaning that with millions of oysters in the water, they collectively filter millions of litres per day, improving ocean health and supporting marine conservation. The company has implemented a reef restoration project that repurposes discarded oyster shells. 'We are recollecting the shells from venues, bringing them back to the farm, curating them to ensure there are no bacteria, then putting them in cages deployed in particular areas near Dibba where we are restoring the reef,' Sartoris detailed. Faster growth, international expansion A key advantage for the UAE producer is the significantly faster growth cycle of their oysters — nine to eleven months compared to three years for European varieties — thanks to the warm Gulf waters. 'When the meat is younger, it's definitely better. That's why our taste is unique, and the abductor muscle, which is what people cut to open the oyster, is more crunchy,' Sartoris stated. Despite this quality advantage, challenges remain in consumer perception. 'A lot of consumers still think that local farms are considered less expert than international farms,' Sartoris said. 'We want to change this mindset.' Beyond the domestic market, Dibba Bay has begun expanding internationally, with 20-25 per cent of its production now exported to markets including Russia, Hong Kong, and Macau. The company plans to focus on further expansion into China and Singapore in the third and fourth quarters of 2025. 'The goal is basically to create a solid market share, to increase market share within the UAE market first of all,' said Sartoris of the company's expansion plans, adding that parallel efforts to grow in export markets will follow.
Trade Arabia
17-04-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Dibba Bay Oysters appoints new GM
Dibba Bay Oysters, a gourmet oyster farm in the Middle East, has appointed Andrea Sartoris as its new General Manager. With over 20 years of global experience in the food and beverage industry, Sartoris will lead the company in delivering locally harvested, world-class oysters across the UAE and international markets. The Italian national has extensive experience in sales and operations across diverse markets and industries, having served as an International Area Manager for a multinational seafood brand from 2005 to 2014. 'It is a privilege to work with a talented and committed team of over 180 exceptional colleagues, from our skilled oystermen to our passionate sales team,' said Sartoris on his appointment as General Manager. 'Their daily efforts, creativity, and dedication are the vital force behind Dibba Bay's continued success and growth. Together, we are pushing boundaries and striving for excellence in all we do.' -TradeArabia News Service
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Portland officials defend General Assistance amid push to cut spending
Portland City Hall. (AnnMarie Hilton/ Maine Morning Star) In the face of criticism over General Assistance spending, Portland's elected leaders turned out in Augusta on Monday to explain that Maine's most populous city carries an outsized responsibility to provide for more vulnerable people due to unequal access to services in the otherwise mostly rural state. 'They're there because we haven't determined how to allocate that responsibility to other municipalities,' said Portland Mayor Mark Dion of people receiving assistance. 'You can cut the budget. You have the authority to do that. But, you don't make people disappear.' General Assistance, which helps municipalities pay for basic necessities for those who can't afford them, has already been a pivotal point in state budget negotiations. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills' initially proposed limits to the assistance in her change package, which is primarily intended to fix an imminent Medicaid shortfall, however the Democratic majority decided to move that issue and other non-emergency measures to the two-year budget. Republicans are still pushing for the changes in the supplemental, which will be considered again on Tuesday. But dozens turned out on Monday for a public hearing, largely in opposition to the proposed cuts in the biennial budget. House Minority Leader Billy Bob (R-Winter Harbor) said the budget problems with General Assistance are a Portland issue in a video taken outside Portland City Hall and posted on the House GOP's Facebook page on Feb. 12. 'General Assistance is a good program when it's used correctly,' Faulkingham said in the clip. 'But here in Portland, they spend 50 times more per person on General Assistance than the rest of the state. As a matter of fact, this city alone gobbles up most of the General Assistance state-wide.' In 2023, Portland received $7.46 million in General Assistance, which was 88% of the total $8.5 million spending. South Portland received the second-most with $156,340, followed by Lewiston with $123,707. Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris told lawmakers on the budget and the Health and Human Services committees during a joint hearing Monday that disproportionate spending is by design, given that most mental health and substance use treatment centers, as well as homeless shelters are located in or near Portland. 'We don't have the population densities to support hospitals, service centers, nonprofits, etc. at a cost effective scale except mostly in Portland,' Sartoris said. Her office, as well as the Portland police and sheriff's offices have started to work together to use instances of criminal misconduct to leverage people toward help, a significant change to what had been done years ago, she said. Sartoris cautioned that if housing assistance for these people were to be cut off before they're able to secure more permanent housing, they're going to come right back on her mental health docket, she said, and at that point will require more expensive services. 'Rather than adopt policies that claim to be concerned about equalizing General Assistance between very different communities, I hope the committee will instead focus on the data that shows Portland is serving a unique and essential role for our entire state, and then consider the consequences of adopting this proposal,' Sartoris said. The proposed cuts to General Assistance would limit housing assistance, except for temporary housing and emergency shelters, to a maximum of three months per household over one year. The budget plan also seeks to limit municipalities from exceeding the maximum levels for all assistance categories for no more than 30 days per household over one year. Like Sartoris, Dion said it is no secret that Portland spends the most on General Assistance. 'If this body joins the executive and cuts those funds, then I've lost the capacity to meet that need — a state responsibility I'll fail to meet,' Dion said. State law requires municipalities to administer General Assistance, but it's largely funded by the state. The state also regularly reviews these allocations and issued Portland a notice in September that the city violated state law because one of its shelter reimbursement requests exceeded the maximum amount allowed, which is based on the rate the Department of Health and Human Services sets for a studio or efficiency apartment. The maximum that could be reimbursed per bed per night is $44, according to the notice. In reality, Dion said, much more is needed. He pointed to a study released in January by Maine Housing that assessed the daily costs of 27 shelters that represent two-thirds of those in Maine's Emergency Shelter and Housing Assistance Program and found the average annual cost to be just over $95 per bed per night. The Department of Health and Human Services is also considering other funding cuts to General Assistance reimbursements through a rule change, which Dion argued would exacerbate what he sees as already inadequate reimbursements. 'Just know that the kennel boarding my dog costs about $75 dollars a day and I supply his food,' Dion said. 'It appears that my dog enjoys the possibility of a better deal than a homeless person in Maine under the proposed reimbursement rate.' Dion said unhoused people move at varying speeds to positions where they can be employed, depending on a multitude of factors such as getting substance use and mental health treatment, but that expecting city and nonprofit services to make that a reality for everyone in 60 to 90 days is not feasible. Rep. Anne Graham (D-North Yarmouth) asked Dion to return with a proposed compromise for a limit to General Assistance that he would view as more reasonable. Dion said he'd consult the mayor's coalition. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
