Korean Beef Makes First Export to UAE... "Official Entry into 1.9 Billion Halal Market"

Korean beef has been exported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the first time. With the opening of the UAE market, the number of countries where Korean beef can be officially exported has expanded to five: Hong Kong, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and the UAE.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that on the 30th, a shipping ceremony was held at the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation to commemorate the first official export of Korean beef to the UAE. Starting from this day, approximately 1.5 tons of chilled and frozen Korean beef will be exported to the UAE via Incheon Airport and seaports.

UAE Korean Beef Export Shipping Ceremony Held on the 30th. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

With the first-ever export of Korean beef to the UAE, the number of countries eligible for official Korean beef exports has increased to five. An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, "The UAE is a high-income country that relies on imports for more than 90% of its beef consumption. Imports from Australia and the United States account for a large share, and there is a high demand for premium beef. Therefore, the UAE is expected to become an important market for Korean beef exports in the future." The official added, "In particular, demand for Japanese beef, which is most similar to Korean beef in terms of price and quality, has been rapidly increasing in the UAE. This indicates that there is sufficient demand for high-quality beef such as Korean beef."

This export will also serve as an opportunity to identify potential overseas customers for Korean beef. In November, the ministry plans to recruit a group of foreign tourists visiting Korea and operate gourmet travel and cooking class programs to promote the taste of Korean beef. In addition, in cooperation with the tourism industry, the ministry will jointly develop and operate Korean beef tasting and consumption tour programs targeting tourists with high per capita spending.

At the ceremony, Vice Minister Kang Hyungseok of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, "The export to the UAE is not simply an expansion of Korean beef export destinations, but also holds significant meaning as it marks the official entry into the 1.9 billion Halal market." He added, "We will further strengthen support for local promotional events to expand Korean beef exports, while also making efforts to secure new markets through quarantine negotiations."