Malaysian MSMEs Celebrate Dream Of Marketing Products In UAE

From Lucia Terey Anak John

DUBAI, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) entrepreneurs in Malaysia are elated to finally realise their dream of marketing products in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This achievement is the result of a business matching session organised by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), in collaboration with leading supermarkets such as Lulu Hypermarket, Lotus’s Stores Sdn Bhd, and AEON Co (M) Bhd.

The session aimed to identify suitable products for entry into the UAE, China, Thailand, and Japanese markets through the Taste of Malaysia programme.

MSME entrepreneur, Ciinndey Wong, the director and founder of Rhymba Hills, stated that her company was among the 16 selected to market their products in the UAE.

"We are grateful to KPDN and Lulu for enabling us to expand our business to Dubai. We have been seeking this opportunity for a long time, and now it has become a reality," she told Bernama at the Taste of Malaysia @ Dubai event.

She said her company’s products include botanical beverages resembling tea, made from ingredients such as Bentong ginger, kaffir lime leaves, pandan leaves, and lemongrass.

Given that the UAE is a hub for the Middle East and Europe, Wong expressed confidence that this opportunity would pave the way for future business prospects. 

Jati Food Industries Sdn Bhd managing director, Tan Poh Kong, shared that expanding into the oil-producing nation has been a long-awaited opportunity, especially since his company’s Aroma Flour products are already well-established in Malaysia and Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

“With competitive pricing and quality comparable to international products, we believe our versatile flour will find a place in the UAE market. We just need to maintain consistent production capacity to ensure a steady supply,” he said.

Tan added that his factory in Kota Kemuning, Selangor, currently produces between 300 and 400 tons of flour, with plans to increase capacity when the factory begins operating 24 hours a day in October, up from its current 18-hour schedule.

Meanwhile, during the launch, Lulu Group International (Dubai and Northern Emirates) director James Vargese, said the company is committed to promoting Malaysian products, including vegetables, food and beverage items, as well as household goods in the international market.

“This is also a significant milestone, as there are currently over 1,000 Malaysian products available across Lulu outlets in the UAE,” he said.

-- BERNAMA