Al Ghurair Foods confirmed it will supply locally produced dextrose, a key raw material for protein fermentation, to Abu Dhabi’s growing alternative protein ecosystem. The announcement was made at the Protein Alternative (PALT) conference led by Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), held ahead of Global Food Week 2026.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the New Agrarian-led consortium, Al Ghurair Foods will produce dextrose syrup from its corn milling operations in the UAE and supply it to the consortium’s upcoming 4-million-litre industrial-scale protein fermentation facility in Abu Dhabi. The agreement establishes the company as the local, UAE-based source of a critical input the ecosystem has been working to secure domestically. Producing it here gives the ecosystem a dependable, homegrown supply, strengthens its economics and resilience, and reduces its reliance on imported feedstock.
The ecosystem, first established in 2025, is being developed with the support of ADIO’s AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance (AGWA) cluster which brings together partners including two global pioneers in sustainable protein production, Vivici and The EVERY Company, and clean food investor and developer New Agrarian, to build commercial-scale protein fermentation capability in Abu Dhabi. AGWA is advancing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for food and water innovation by supporting the development, commercialisation and scale-up of technologies that strengthen food security and create new economic opportunities.
Al Ghurair Foods’ participation further strengthens this value chain by localising a critical production input and supporting Abu Dhabi’s ambition to develop an integrated ecosystem where food technologies can move from innovation to commercial-scale production.
Dextrose is one of a growing range of advanced ingredients produced by Al Ghurair Foods as it moves further up the food value chain. Drawing on close to five decades of grain milling and food manufacturing, and a network of high-capacity production facilities across the region, the same capability that serves established food and beverage manufacturing now supports next-generation protein fermentation.
Turgut Yegenaga, Chief Executive Officer of Al Ghurair Foods, said: “For close to fifty years, Al Ghurair Foods has produced the staples the region relies on, and we continue to move that capability up the value chain into advanced ingredients. Dextrose is a natural next step. By producing it here in the UAE and supplying it as a feedstock for the protein fermentation industry, we give this ecosystem a dependable, homegrown input, and help position the country at the forefront of the future of food.”
Fatima Al Dhaheri, Head of the AGWA Cluster at Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), said: “Building a globally competitive food innovation ecosystem requires more than breakthrough technologies; it requires the right infrastructure, supply chains and partners to enable those technologies to scale. Localising a critical input such as dextrose strengthens Abu Dhabi’s protein fermentation value chain, improves its resilience and creates stronger foundations for commercial-scale production. Through AGWA, ADIO is bringing these capabilities together to enable companies to develop, produce and scale from Abu Dhabi, while supporting the emirate’s long-term food security and economic diversification ambitions.”
Together, the partners aim to build a resilient, locally anchored supply chain that supports the long-term growth of the emirate’s protein fermentation sector.
