Government of Dubai Media Office – 9 May 2017

Mana Al Kaabi an Emirati entrepreneur from Hatta has created a buzz in the GCC honey industry with the region’s first apiary that rears queen bee breeds from across the world.

Two years ago, Al Kaabi established Hatta Honey, a honey production business, with support from Dubai SME and Dubai Municipality. The launch, last year, of the Hatta Comprehensive Development Plan, one of whose main aims is to invest in Hatta’s youth and support their entrepreneurial aspirations, encouraged Al Kaabi to explore the local rearing of queen bees.

According to Al Kaabi, UAE imports over 95% of the queen bee hives required to produce honey. Seeing an opportunity to rear queen bees locally, Al Kaabi established the GCC’s first apiary dedicated to rearing the best local, regional and international breeds.

Al Kaabi’s apiary today rears queen bee breeds from Canada, Italy, Oman and Saudi Arabia. He hopes to expand his honey business across the UAE and to regional markets. In the future, he also hopes to export UAE-produced honey to international markets. His company has already signed a cooperation agreement with Al Najeh Company, the industry leader in the region for apiary equipment.

He is also working to create a new bee breed, which he plans to call the Dubai Breed that will have unique traits that facilitate the production of high quality honey.

Al Kaabi highlighted the roles of Dubai Municipality and Dubai SME in the success of his venture and in helping him overcoming many challenges. Dubai Municipality and Dubai SME are providing exceptional support for entrepreneurial ventures in Hatta, he said.

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© Press Release 2017