The firm launched its new date porridge at the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference (Dihad) last month. The porridge uses UAE dates, and offers a long shelf life, similar to Saahtain Foods’ other MRE products, which can last up to two years after production at room temperature.
Regional ingredients
“Dihad is a very important platform for us, we are strong believers in the strategic and geographical location of UAE for humanitarian and development work. We are really excited to be using the highly nutritious dates of the region; it was an obvious choice for our next product launch,” said Adeel Khan, CEO of Saahtain Foods.
“Innovation in the humanitarian sector truly makes us a social enterprise. We bring private sector excellence in to the strategies of leading non-profit organisations and the corporate social responsibility efforts of leading corporates across the region,” he added.
Saahtain Foods’ main MRE products are mostly based around rice and chicken, and are designed to cater for Middle Eastern, African, Asian and European tastes, with a range of dishes from Doro Wat and Jollof, to biryanis, Chicken Kabsa, and Fatti Dajaj. The company claims to be the only manufacturer of Halal MREs in the Middle East, which it produces under the Tayyib brand, using locally sourced ingredients.
"Tayyib meal pouches are a highly effective form of 100% Halal, 100% natural, highly nutritious, localised taste food aid, particularly in areas where infrastructure and hygiene are poor and people have limited access to clean water, storage and cooking fuel,” said Khan.
Humanitarian relief
The firm has provided tens of thousands of its MREs to conflict zones around the world, including West Africa and the Middle East, on behalf of corporate donors. Last year it sent 40,000 MREs to Gaza, and 15,000 meals to West Africa, among other operations.
In January Saahtain Foods provided the UAE Red Crescent with 15,000 MREs for Syrian refugees. Ten thousand of the meals were paid for by a UK charity, with the remaining 5,000 funded by the Darvesh Group.
“Food gives the refugees energy to fight disease and gather material to burn to keep warm. Water supplies are strained in Jordan and Lebanon and people can’t cook due to damp and cold conditions. An affordable, complete and effective solution is our Tayyib Ready to Eat Meal,” said Zahra Mahmood, director of Saahtain Foods.