I. Overall situation of the catering industry market in UAE

The UAE is an immigrant country with a large population from India, Pakistan, Iran, Arab countries, Europe, America and East Asia. Of the 465,438+million permanent residents, Albanians only account for about 25%; People from South Asia and neighboring countries such as India (1.2 million) and Pakistan (800,000) account for 60%-65%. The remaining 65,438+00%-65,438+05% of the population come from Europe, America, China, the Philippines, Indonesia and other Asian countries; There are also some from other parts of the world. The characteristics of multi-ethnic population make the UAE form a series of catering to different ethnic eating habits, which can be summarized into four series: Arabic cuisine (represented by Lebanese cuisine, Egyptian cuisine and Syrian cuisine), Western cuisine (represented by Italian and French flavors), South Asian cuisine (Indian and Pakistani cuisine) and East Asian cuisine (represented by Chinese, Thai and Japanese cuisine).

(1) Market characteristics of catering industry in UAE.

1, highlighting the cultural characteristics of Islamic catering. A is an Islamic country. Generally speaking, the food provided by catering enterprises to customers must conform to Islamic rules. Pork and liquor can only be operated with a business license, otherwise it is generally prohibited.

2. Internationalization and diversification are distinctive. The diversified ethnic population has formed a local internationalized and diversified catering market. In the United Arab Emirates, you can eat western food, Indian and Pakistani food, oriental food and even some Latin American and African dishes. Therefore, the UAE is also known as the world food gathering place.

3. Each series of restaurants are independent and inclusive, winning their own customer base in the competition.

(B) the catering business model.

At present, the catering industry in Albania is divided into three categories: restaurants, restaurants in hotels or fast food restaurants (including coffee shops).

Most A-star hotels are engaged in western food, Thai food and Japanese food. In order to adapt to the tastes of consumers in "diversified countries", they also operate "international meals" that meet a variety of tastes, that is, the catering characteristics that combine Asian, European and Arab diets. With elegant environment, excellent service and excellent wine, this hotel is the first choice for local government departments to hold business activities and business people to negotiate and dine in Europe and America. With the growth of tourism, hotel catering accounts for nearly 17% of the total expenditure. Asian catering has developed rapidly in this region, while Lebanese cuisine is very popular in this region because of its Arab characteristics and healthy collocation. Indo-Pakistani meals are mainly for the Indo-Pakistani ethnic groups in Afghanistan. At the same time, because of its long-term operation in Afghanistan, it caters to the tastes of most Arabs and is deeply loved by local people. McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut and other international fast food chains are widely distributed in Afghanistan, especially Pizza Hut, which is favored by local people because of its convenient food delivery service.

(3) Consumption characteristics.

Meat and fish account for more than 40%, vegetables account for 15%, fruits and beverages account for 14%, and dairy products account for 13%. UAE is a typical Islamic country. Except for non-Muslim restaurants located in hotels and clubs, other restaurants are strictly prohibited from dealing in alcoholic beverages and pork.

(4) The scale of the catering market.

According to relevant statistics, the annual market value of the catering industry in the Middle East is 3 1 100 million dollars. Among them, the GCC countries accounted for 9.5 billion US dollars; The UAE's market share is close to US$ 4.3 billion, and it is expected to increase by more than 65,438+00% every year. The markets in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates account for more than 80% of the catering market in Afghanistan.

The rapid development of the catering market in UAE is mainly due to the following reasons:

1, the population is growing rapidly. According to the statistics of UAE Ministry of Economy, by the end of 2005, the population of Albania had reached 465,438+million, with an average annual growth rate of 7%.

2. The rapid development of tourism. In recent years, the oil economy in Africa has developed rapidly, especially the tourism industry in Dubai. The Albanian government attaches great importance to the development of tourism, and Dubai has become a tourist, shopping and exhibition center in the Gulf region. At present, the annual growth rate of tourism in UAE is 4.4%. From 2002 to 2005, the average number of overseas tourists visiting the UAE was 5.5 million, and the income of hotels and restaurants reached more than 6 billion dirhams (about 65.438+64 billion US dollars), with an annual growth rate of over 654.38+00%. Tourists mainly come from Europe, Asia and other countries and regions.

3. Domestic consumption growth and changes in consumption patterns. With the rapid growth of Albania's income, Albania's consumption expenditure has also increased significantly. A floating population, most of the staff are men. According to the survey, the frequency ratio of men and women eating out is 2: 1, while local people in UAE choose family weekend dinners or invite restaurants to deliver meals in order to change the taste of food.

Second, local catering industry investment laws and regulations

(1) Set up a restaurant.

According to different business models, UAE has different requirements for the establishment of catering industry, which can be divided into on-site restaurants and off-site restaurants. To set up independently outside the hotel, according to the provisions of the company law, the agency system must be implemented. Domestic shares must be above 565,438+0%, and foreign shares cannot exceed 49%. Therefore, when foreigners apply for a business license in a local catering enterprise, they must find an agent in the local area and sign an agency agreement, which must be notarized by the court. However, in practice (private transactions between foreign investors and local agents), the agency fees or commissions are generally less than 565,438+0%, and some only pay a small part of the fees to agents. The specific proportion is determined by both parties through private consultation and is not reflected in the agency agreement. The establishment of overseas catering branches must be carried out in the name of a local guarantor or agent.

If you open a restaurant in the hotel, you only need to sign an agreement with the hotel, and you don't need to find a local joint venture or guarantee, because the restaurant is operating in the name of the hotel.

(2) Other requirements.

1. There is a food supervision department under the city hall to inspect the catering industry in Albania regularly, which requires the catering industry in Albania to comply with local laws and regulations on the one hand, and certain product and hygiene standards on the other.

According to the related document (23) 1983 issued by Dubai City Hall, there are clear requirements for food labeling, shelf life and standards. Food supervision departments and health departments regularly inspect the catering industry, check whether the raw materials, processing procedures, food storage, temperature control and added pigment additives of some products meet the requirements, and check the sanitary conditions inside and outside the restaurant. In addition, Afghanistan stipulates that the kitchen area of restaurants should not be less than 25 square meters.

2. Work permit

To apply for a chef's work visa, a chef must provide a chef's qualification certificate from his country of origin, and obtain a local chef's work visa from the Ministry of Labor after notarization by the Afghan Embassy in that country.

Step 3 tax

For restaurants operating outside the hotel, the UAE does not levy business income tax, and foreign exchange can be remitted freely. Restaurants operating in hotels need to pay 6% business tax to the municipal government.

Three. Major catering enterprises and Chinese restaurants in Abu Dhabi

According to the understanding of Chinese restaurants in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the operating profit of restaurants located outside the hotel is 15-20%, and the profit of restaurants located inside the hotel is about 30%. It can be said that the permanent residents in Afghanistan have certain loyalty to the choice of restaurants. Most restaurants have launched their own unique products and services in order to meet the market demand and ensure their competitive position in the market. For example, Finz restaurant in Rotana Hotel is favored by many consumers because of its fresh seafood. Royal Meridian Restaurant has won customers with its excellent service features because of its revolving restaurant. The chain store Golden Fork (a restaurant run by Filipinos in Golden Folk) has won the favor of Indian, Pakistani and other Arab consumers for its low price and popular taste. As far as fast food restaurants are concerned, 26% people in UAE patronize fast food restaurants at least once a week; In order to better adapt to the Middle East market, McDonald's added McArabia roasted Kofta and roast chicken suitable for Arab consumers.

At present, there are six Chinese restaurants run by China people in Abu Dhabi, namely Beijing Tower, Chenggong Restaurant, Red House, Chinese Restaurant, Ganzhou Hotpot and Oriental Restaurant. Some restaurants are not run by China people. There are two Chinese restaurants in the hotel, and the others are ordinary restaurants. These Chinese restaurants are large and small, with more than 2-3 employees 10. The profit mainly depends on 1 1 until the peak season of April and half a year of the following year, and May-10 is the off-season, so basically all catering enterprises break even. With the increase of people in China, more and more people like Chinese food. It is expected that 2-3 Chinese restaurants will be opened in the near future.

After investigation, the marketing strategies of Chinese restaurants in Abu Dhabi are as follows:

(1) China Restaurant located in the hotel.

The restaurants in the hotel are mostly for high-end business customers, mainly for official banquets, Asian and European and American consumer groups such as Malaysia and Singapore. At present, there are two restaurants in star-rated hotels in Abu Dhabi, both of which are not run by China people. In addition, in order to adapt to international tastes, some diets have been improved and no longer have the characteristics of authentic China cuisine.

(2) Ordinary China restaurant located outside the hotel.

The main marketing targets of this part of the restaurant are some Afghans living in China, Asians from Indonesian and Singaporean, and ordinary consumers of some tourist groups. Most of these restaurants are run by China people. One marketing method is to keep the characteristics of China food and make corresponding adjustments according to the tastes of foreign consumers. For example, foreigners demand light taste and less oil, but at the same time these customers like China food very much. The "Beijing Building" and "Red House" in Abu Dhabi belong to this model; Another way is to increase the variety of products. Chinese restaurants not only handle Chinese food, but also food suitable for India and other countries, so as to expand the marketing scope and attract more customers from different countries with product diversification. This is the operation mode of successful restaurants in Abu Dhabi.