Dubai: Diners in Dubai can now choose to eat from the city’s “elite” restaurants that have been officially certified as those offering the safest food while being the most sustainable and socially responsible.
Dubai Municipality on Monday honoured nine such restaurants, which became the winners of the inaugural edition of the ‘DM Food Elite Programme’. Dubai Municipality Director-General Dawoud Al Hajri honoured the winners in three categories during the 18th Dubai International Food Safety Conference, which began on Monday.
Dubai Municipality’s Food Control Department received over 400 applications for the pioneering programme, the first launched by a government regulator to recognise excellence in food safety combined with a commitment to sustainability, nutrition and social responsibility. Thirty of them were shortlisted and the winners were announced during the opening ceremony of the conference.
Winners
In the Standalone and Formal Dine-in Restaurants category, Clap Restaurant (DIFC Gate Village Building) took first place, followed by Leila Restaurant (Downtown Boulevard, Clarens Tower 2) in second, and Bab Al Mansour Restaurant (The Lofts, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard) in third.
For the Hotel-affiliated Dine-in Restaurants category, Mediterraneo Restaurant at Armani Hotel (Burj Khalifa) earned first place, with Cucina Restaurant at Marriott Resort (Palm Jumeirah) coming in second, and Brasserie Boulud at Sofitel Dubai (The Obelisk) taking third place.
In the Quick Service Food Outlets and Cafeterias category, Trader’s House (Dubai World Trade Centre) secured first place, followed by McDonald’s (Blue Tower) in second, and Al Baik (Al Diyafa) in third.
Ravi Arul, Associate Director - Food Hygiene and Safety, Venue Operations at DWTC, said the commitment to the highest Food Hygiene and Safety standards, validated by certifications like HACCP, ISO 22000:2018, and a Golden Grade A from Dubai Municipality, translated directly to enhanced trust for consumers of Trader's House.
Why it is unique
This recognition programme is the first government-led initiative to honour food establishments for their innovative approaches to sustainability and social responsibility, according to Sultan Ali Al Taher, director of the Food Control Department in Dubai Municipality.
Unlike traditional restaurant recognition programmes, he said DM Food Elite is the first launched by a regulator to recognise excellence in food safety.
“The Food Elite Programme is a breakthrough for government recognition in the food sector. While private organisations often offer awards, this programme marks the first time a regulatory body is providing such recognition — regulators usually issue penalties, not recognition. This programme demonstrates Dubai Municipality’s commitment to building a sustainable food system and encouraging excellence across food safety, sustainability, nutrition, and social responsibility, elevating the quality of life in Dubai,” he said.
The director added that the consumers can now opt to patronise the elite restaurants that commit themselves to the highest standards in all these aspects.
“All of them have scored an outstanding ‘A’ grade in food safety. They will be able to publicise the award to the customers. We will also list their details on the website of the DM Food Elite Programme and our social media channels.”
Al Taher added: “This initiative also aligns with the objectives of the National Food Security Strategy 2051 and the Dubai Food Security Strategy. It reflects our dedication to ensuring the safety and sustainability of food processes according to the highest international standards while reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global trade hub.”
Selection process
Since the programme’s launch earlier this year, it has moved through several phases, including application submissions, desk-based evaluations, interviews, and site visits.
The evaluation process was led by a team of 10 independent experts with international experience, who spent more than 3,100 hours (equivalent to 392 working days) completing the assessments. The final selection of the winners was made by an independent jury, recognising three winners in each category.
Innovative concept
Dr Kayan Akram Jaff, Head of Mission of the FAO Sub-regional Office for the GCC States and Yemen, said the DM Food Elite Programme is an innovative concept that could be emulated in other places.
“Food safety is the backbone of food security,” he pointed out.
“Recognising these restaurants has two reasons, in our view, as an international organisation. One is to give them the drive to do better as far as sustainability is concerned. The second thing that is more important is that you are giving them a platform where they can see others that have done the same thing, so they learn from each other,” he added.
Earlier, during his speech at the opening ceremony of the conference, held under the theme ‘Future Foresight Into Food Safety’, the director-general said: “To be proactive in the field of food safety and quality, we must take advantage of modern and innovative technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence, to enhance our capabilities in detecting and assessing food risks, and for our future solutions to be based on solid and sustainable scientific foundations.”
Bobby Krishna, senior food safety specialist, said the DM Food Elite Programme also took into consideration the digital leadership competency.
“We are also looking at how people, who are not digitally capable of, are also stepping up, and how the businesses are supporting them. So that’s a part of the innovation cycle, looking at all levels, not just the big space businesses. We want to expand it to also to smaller businesses, where they can come and do extraordinary things. So the value system is more about taking the food systems approach,” he added.
Keya Mukherjee, a food safety specialist with the FAO, pointed out that food safety is often not considered by many as important as sustainability or food security. “But to see it as the star and see restaurants and food operators coming together and really celebrating it is really heartwarming,” she said.
