• The Municipality introduces AI-powered, robotic, and smart inspection technologies transforming laboratory, inspection, and food-trade operations.
  • The showcase reflects Dubai’s commitment to resilient, future-ready food systems and the highest standards of public health and consumer protection.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai Municipality is participating in the 31st edition of the Gulf Food Exhibition, Gulfood 2026, the world’s largest annual food and beverage event, taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 26 to 30 January. Through its participation, the Municipality is showcasing a portfolio of innovative digital services and qualitative initiatives designed to facilitate food trade and ensure the highest standards of food safety in the Emirate of Dubai.

Dubai Municipality’s presence at Gulfood reflects its strategic commitment to strengthening the sustainability and safety of the food system, ensuring resilient supply chains, and creating a supportive regulatory environment that enables investors and entrepreneurs to grow their businesses with confidence. It also demonstrates the Municipality’s integrated approach to food safety, covering the entire food journey — from the country of origin, through port inspections and laboratory testing, to market surveillance — while safeguarding public health and enhancing quality of life.

During the exhibition, Dubai Municipality launched a specialised laboratory dedicated to detecting insect residues in food products, reflecting its forward-looking vision to develop an advanced laboratory ecosystem operating in line with international best practice and global food safety standards.

Over the past period, Dubai Central Laboratory has worked on developing a fully integrated facility equipped with the latest laboratory instruments and technologies, supported by purpose-built tools designed to enable the accurate and rapid detection of insect residues in food products. This ensures the highest levels of precision and reliability in test results.

The laboratory is currently undergoing a pilot operational phase, which is expected to conclude during the first quarter of the current year. Following this phase, the laboratory will officially begin receiving samples and conducting analyses, contributing to the strengthening of the food safety system and enhancing Dubai’s readiness to keep pace with global developments in this field.

 This initiative comes in light of accelerating climate change affecting the availability of natural resources, alongside a global shift towards adopting alternative and sustainable sources, including the use of specific types of insects as a protein source in food products. This shift is underpinned by international legislation and standards approved during the past year.

Among the key initiatives presented is the Laboratory Gateway project, which delivers simplified, science-rich content that enhances awareness and understanding of food safety concepts among diverse audiences. The Municipality is also showcasing the Microscopic Exploration Unit, which leverages advanced laboratory technologies at Dubai Central Laboratory, including the use of robotic arms for highly precise sample preparation and virus testing. Visitors are further introduced to Rashid Robot, which offers an interactive experience and guides audiences through the latest laboratory innovations and digital services.

Within the field of food safety operations, Dubai Municipality is presenting a new generation of smart solutions designed to enhance regulatory efficiency and service quality. These include the deployment of smart glasses for inspections at ports and food establishments, enabling fully digital and remote inspection processes at ports, warehouses, and facilities. This innovation increases operational efficiency, reduces the need for on-site presence, and ensures high levels of inspection accuracy, transparency, and regulatory compliance.

The Municipality is also highlighting the Montaji+ system, an integrated platform regulating the circulation of imported and exported products under a unified framework that brings together food, health, and safety requirements. The system features a comprehensive database of more than 1.5 million registered products, supporting effective monitoring, tracking, and facilitation of food import and export operations. Designed as a seamless customer journey rather than standalone processes, Montaji+ covers registration, import, and export within a single digital ecosystem, enhancing regulatory efficiency and customer experience. The system was developed following benchmarking with more than 12 regional and international entities and features a flexible architecture that supports continuous improvement based on user feedback.

Dubai Municipality is further showcasing its AI-powered virtual assistant Ghalia, developed to provide instant support and accurate responses on food safety and school nutrition guidelines in Dubai. The assistant serves students, parents, and food suppliers, enabling fast, reliable access to essential regulatory and health information.

Dr. Naseem Mohammed Rafee, Acting CEO of the Environment, Health and Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, affirmed that Gulfood represents a leading global platform for the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and innovation within the food and beverage sector.

She said: “Dubai Municipality is shaping the future of food safety in Dubai through innovation and digital transformation across the food ecosystem, making it more advanced, resilient, and sustainable. Advanced technologies and smart solutions play a pivotal role in enhancing inspection accuracy, transparency, and response speed, while supporting a sustainable food system. Through our innovative digital services and qualitative initiatives, we seek to facilitate food trade in the region and ensure the highest food safety standards in the Emirate of Dubai, delivering safe, healthy outcomes across the entire food journey and reinforcing quality of life and public health.”

During 2025, Dubai Municipality inspected 579,913 food consignments containing approximately 1,947,200 food products, as part of its ongoing regulatory efforts to oversee the food trade sector and ensure the availability of safe, high-quality food products across the emirate.