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UAE retailers continue to import fresh and essential foods on commercial, charter flights
UAE retailers Lulu Group and Al Maya say more shipments are planned from India and other countries to ensure a sustained supply of food across all their outlets
- PUBLISHED: Sat 7 Mar 2026, 9:57 PM UPDATED: Sun 8 Mar 2026, 2:29 PM
[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid US-Israel-Iran war for the latest regional developments.]
Fresh food and meat supplies are being flown into the UAE on commercial and special chartered cargo flights as retailers step up efforts to keep store shelves stocked.
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Retail major Lulu Group said it has arranged special cargo operations from India and other key global markets to ensure a steady flow of food products into the country.
A cargo freighter flight operated by Etihad Airways brought about a significant shipment of about 12,000 packages weighing around 80,000 kilograms of fresh produce from India to Abu Dhabi.
A cargo flight from Kochi, Kerala, landed in Abu Dhabi at 2am on Saturday, March 7, 2026, carrying 80 tonnes of fresh fruits and vegetables to supply fresh farm produce to the UAE.
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“Our priority is to ensure that families across the UAE continue to have access to fresh food and essential products without any concern,” said Yusuffali M.A., Chairman of Lulu Group.
He reassured residents that the group has a strong global sourcing and logistics network to ensure uninterrupted supplies and stable prices.
Dr Dhananjay Datar, chairman and managing director of Adil Group of Supermarkets, said they continue to import dry food through chartered flights as well as through vessels arriving at Khorfakkan port.
“I wanted to personally reassure you about the current situation regarding food supplies and shipping to the UAE. We continue to import dry food and other essentials through chartered flights whenever needed, ensuring continuity of supply. For normal containerised goods coming to Dubai, vessels are now arriving at Khorfakkan, where the process of releasing cargo has become smoother and more efficient, similar to Dubai,” he said.
He stressed that there is no indication that prices of goods will increase. “We currently have plenty of stock available, so there is absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to food availability in the UAE,” added chairman of Adil Group.
Kamal Vachani, deputy CEO, partner and group director of Al Maya Group, said they continue to import fresh goods, meat and other products from India.
“Yes, we have also received some supplies by air over the past few days. On Friday we received around 500 kg of mutton from Delhi by flight, and another one tonne of mutton from Delhi on Saturday. From Kerala, we have been continuously receiving bananas, drumsticks, coconuts and other items over the last three days. In addition, fresh vegetables, fruits and some condiments arrived this morning from Mumbai by air, and more air shipments are planned in the coming days to ensure steady availability in the market,” Vachani told Khaleej Times.
He assured that all outlets are well-stocked with essential food items.
“I visit all the branches to ensure continuity and give confidence to our customers that supplies are well-stocked and there is no cause of concern,” added Al Maya Group’s deputy CEO.
Lulu Group said said further cargo shipments are planned in the coming days as part of efforts to maintain stock levels across its UAE stores.
Earlier, Lulu also transported around 80 tonnes of meat from New Delhi, while additional consignments are being arranged from Indian cities including Mumbai and Bengaluru, as well as other global sourcing markets including Melbourne. The dedicated cargo flights allow large volumes of perishable goods to reach the country quickly, helping maintain steady supplies of fresh produce.
“Our priority is to ensure that families across the UAE continue to have access to fresh food and essential products without any concern,” said Yusuffali M.A., Chairman of Lulu Group.
More cargo flights carrying food products are expected in the coming days as retailers continue to reinforce supplies across their UAE stores.
Meanwhile, Carrefour also assured customers that its shelves remain well-stocked, and its supply chain remain strong.
"We are fully prepared [with] the essentials you and your family rely on. While you may experience minor delays in delivery orders, our teams are working diligently to keep this to a minimum," the company said.
