The UAE exported AED452.8 billion (US$123.3 billion) in non-oil goods in the first half of 2026, up 23.9% on a year earlier. That international reach is visible in everyday products. Dubai-founded Hunter Foods exports to more than 65 countries, while Al Foah takes UAE dates to over 45. House of Pops has shipped one million ice lollies to Walmart China, and Dubai-born Humantra is now stocked by UK retailers including Waitrose and Selfridges.
The export total spans far more than consumer brands, but these businesses make the opportunity tangible. As products reach overseas shelves, their sustainability claims face new scrutiny. For communications leaders entering 2027, substantiation belongs in the market-entry plan, alongside distribution and pricing. The standard should be simple: explain the value created here, then substantiate the claim wherever it travels.
That starts with the decisions behind the product. H/Advisors’ October report, Market perspectives ahead of COP31, connects the UAE’s climate agenda with energy security, industrial competitiveness, diversification and water resilience. For an expanding food brand, efficient production and reliable water supplies can support competitive costs and continuity of supply. Communications must explain those benefits alongside demonstrable environmental outcomes. National ambition alone cannot substantiate a product claim.
COP31, scheduled for 9–20 November in Antalya, could influence finance and national implementation priorities, building on the UAE Consensus. Any corporate obligations depend on applicable law, rather than a summit declaration alone. Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024 already requires designated emissions sources to measure and report. Brands should build evidence around their operations while tracking what subsequent policy changes mean for their expansion plans.
For brands addressing UK consumers, the CMA’s Green Claims Code explains existing consumer-law obligations. The CMA’s direct enforcement powers, introduced in April 2025, include fines of up to 10% of global turnover for infringements. The commercial implication reaches beyond a brand’s own website. Give retailers and distributors approved wording and supporting evidence so an accurate product description does not become an exaggerated shelf claim.
EU consumer marketing brings another test. Directive (EU) 2024/825’s rules have applied since 27 September 2026, prohibiting generic environmental claims without recognized excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim. The separate Green Claims Directive remains a proposal. UAE brands entering EU markets should review packaging and campaigns against rules already applicable there. A specific improvement to packaging cannot justify presenting the entire product as environmentally superior.
Singapore demonstrates how scrutiny can also arrive through a customer. Its revised timetable requires all listed companies to report Scope 1 and 2 emissions from FY2025, with external limited assurance from FY2029. Straits Times Index companies also report value-chain emissions from FY2026. Other requirements vary by category. A UAE supplier may receive information requests from a Singapore-listed retailer assessing its value chain. That is a commercial expectation, distinct from a direct reporting obligation on the UAE brand.
These differences make early communications involvement essential. Before committing to packaging, sourcing or production changes, establish what the brand can credibly say in its intended markets. Each material claim needs a baseline, reporting boundary, timeframe and accountable owner, with a clear explanation of verification. A factory’s emissions figures, for example, may not support a claim about an individual product. Build this into product development and retailer negotiations, while there is still time to address gaps in the evidence.
Consider a hypothetical UAE snack brand introducing lighter packaging for UK sales. A defensible claim would identify the packaging component, quantify the material reduction against the previous pack and specify when the change took effect. It would explain verification and any trade-offs affecting protection or shelf life. Less packaging does not automatically establish lower emissions across production, transport and disposal. The claim should stay within what the comparison proves.
The same discipline applies to resilience. If a brand invests in water reuse or protects its cold chain against extreme heat, explain the measured resource savings or operational benefit. Distinguish completed improvements from targets and disclose dependencies and remaining work. Keep underlying facts consistent across retailer listings, advertising, annual reports, executive interviews and LinkedIn, including Arabic and English versions. Adapt the explanation to each market without changing its substance.
UAE brands preparing for international growth in 2027 should make claims approval part of expansion approval. Communications leaders need a place alongside product, operations and commercial teams before promises reach overseas buyers. The strongest story will connect what the business contributes at home with what it can prove wherever its products sell.
(Amel Osman is Managing Director, H/Advisors Middle East)
