The country
The UAE is a conglomeration of seven states namely: Abu Dhabi, the Umm-al-Qaiwain, Ajman, Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah and Fujairah. The federation has a population of over eight million inhabitants. The GDP of the federation is over four hundred billion. With its relatively small population, this makes it one of the countries with the highest per capita GDP in the world. The region is well known for its oil deposits with analysts projecting that the oil reserves in the country should last the country for more than a century. However, this does not meant that the government is heavily dependent on oil revenues in the country. The other non oil revenues constitute close to seventy percent of the revenues of the country.
The main reasons for the increasing popularity of Japanese food in the UAE
A burgeoning middle class
The UAE has large reserves of oil that are estimated to continue generating income for the country for the next one hundred years. This makes it to rank among the top ten countries in the world with the highest oil reserves. Its small population of slightly over eight million and high per capita GDP ensures that the development index of this country is quite high. The unemployment rate in the country is less than five percent. The economic growth rate of the country is over three percent.
The climate of the federation
The UAE is a generally dry area that is not conducive for the growth of food. The temperatures in the area can get to as high as forty degrees Celsius. The average rainfall in the federation is about one hundred mm on an annual basis. This makes it quite unfavorable for the growth of food crops. Therefore, the inhabitants of this federation have to rely heavily on food imports. This provides a favorable opportunity for the residents of this country to try out different cuisines from different countries. Japanese cuisines therefore feature highly on some f their favorite international foods.
The liberal trade policies in the region
The country has instituted policies and legislations that favor it as a reliable business destination. There are trading zones where there is no tax that is charged to the corporations that set up shop in the country. The country also features highly on doing business reports by reputable institutions. The availability of other revenue sources in the country ensures that the government can make the business environment to be as competitive as possible. This provides a great opportunity for the Japanese investors in the food industry to take advantage of these initiatives.
Growing population
The population in the UAE is growing. The inhabitants of this federation are about eight million. There is also an international community that continues to seek opportunities in this region. This presents viable opportunity for the various food industries that may target the federation.
Favorable relations with Japan
The UAE continues to experience favorable trade relations with Japan. Indeed, Japan remains to be one of the top trading partners of this country. Therefore, introducing more products in the food industry into this country is not going to receive many hurdles. The population in the country is also international and Japanese cuisine is widely viewed as an international favorite.
The Japanese foods that are popular in the federation
The residents of the country have developed a liking for various Japanese cuisines. Some of the Japanese foods that are increasingly becoming popular in the region are listed can be divided into two core categories: the traditional Japanese cuisines and the nontraditional cuisines.
The nontraditional cuisines include the various cuisines that are western themed but have other Japanese ingredients and are prepared in the traditional Japanese way.
The traditional Japanese cuisines are based on the cuisines that have been traditionally been prepared in the Japanese society.
The various Japanese foods that are prepared are listed herein:
- Tempura
- Sashimi
- Soba
- Sushi
Some of the social reasons that make these foods to be popular in the country are as follows:
The Japanese foods are considered to be very healthy. The ingredients that are used in the making of Japanese meals are considered to be quite healthy.
Secondly, more and more international celebrity chefs continue to engage in the preparation of these foods. This effectively makes them to be viewed favorably.
The threats to the rising popularity of Japanese food in the region
The Fukushima plant that emitted radiation after the March eleventh earth quake presented a major challenge to the food imports from Japan. This is because of fear that the food may be contaminated.
However, the Japanese government has sought to assure its trading partners that the food is not contaminated and the areas that were considered to be exposed to these radiations have been shut down.
