In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, fresh vegetables from China are making their way to supermarket shelves within 48 hours of being harvested. This swift delivery caters to the region’s dependence on imported vegetables, as the UAE’s harsh desert climate presents challenges for large-scale production of leafy greens.
At a local supermarket, the availability of fresh produce from China highlights a rise in the importation of cool-season vegetables. A supermarket manager elaborated on the cold-chain logistics, noting that the process from harvesting in China to the shelving in Dubai is efficiently completed within two days, ensuring the produce remains fresh.
Zhou Qiang, who oversees fruit and vegetable procurement at Wenchao Group, remarked, “Our customs clearance team retrieves the products from the airport and brings them to our warehouse in just four hours. Within an additional two hours, we distribute the vegetables to all our locations across the UAE. Throughout the year, around 60 percent of our vegetable sales here consist of Chinese produce.”
Chinese cool-season vegetables are also enhancing the culinary diversity in the UAE. Hadi, a restaurant owner in Dubai, was inspired by the distinct tastes of Chinese vegetables during his visit to Xi’an, China. Upon his return, he opened a restaurant dedicated to Chinese cuisine, where stir-fried Shanghai bok choy quickly gained popularity. Hadi expressed, “We weren’t familiar with this vegetable before, but now, thanks to China, we’ve learned about bok choy. It’s widely used, and we receive numerous compliments from both Chinese patrons and foreigners who truly enjoy it.”