LuLu Hypermarket unveils ‘Australia Week 2022’

Leading retailer LuLu Group recently launched 'Australia Week 2022' at its outlets, with the festival continuing until March 9.The festival has been organised in co-operation with Austrade, the commercial division of the Australian embassy, with the aim of promoting Australian products in the Qatari market. LuLu Group has been conducting the Australian festival since 2018.Australian ambassador to Qatar Jonathan Muir inaugurated the festival at LuLu Hypermarket, Abu Sidra, in the presence of a number of dignitaries, including Dr Mohamed Althaf, director of LuLu Group International, and officials from the Austrade and Australian business groups operating in Qatar.

Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the event, Muir said the ‘Australia Week 2022’ festival offers fantastic Australian products. The festival introduces many new products, he noted, such as honey from an iconic Australian brand, mango, fresh Australian meat, plenty of fresh juice, vegetables and more.“Through this festival, LuLu has provided a great platform to promote Australian products in Qatar. We plan to hold the festival annually,” said Muir.Speaking about the export of meat from Australia to Qatar, he said Qatar was the third largest market for Australian lamb after China and the US because of well-established supply chains.Addressing the event, the ambassador said as citizens and residents of Qatar know better than most - Australia has a reputation for producing some of the best meat in the world.“Raised and processed to strict health standards, our organic and halal Wagyu and Angus beef are winning fans everywhere,” the ambassador added.Further, he stressed that Australian lamb is prized for its natural, grass-fed quality, with products tailored to meet the specific needs of international markets.“Australian cheese, from cheddar to Brie, camembert, mascarpone, feta and haloumi, are also some of the world's best. In response to global consumer trends, many Australian companies are now specialised in organic products and foods. Australia is producing foods with reduced sugar, salt and fat - preservative-free, gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free,” Muir explained.He said people all over the world trust Australian food and beverage products to be of premium quality, nutritious, clean and sustainably produced.“Our beef, lamb, seafood, truffles and olive oil are consistently ranked among the world's best,” he added.Dr Althaf said Australia is one of the largest sources of high protein food items for this region. “We are working to open a LuLu office for sourcing and export distribution in Australia. We are importing a lot of products directly from Australia. The new office will help contact farmers and producers to bring more produce."He said the demand for Australian products is very high in Qatar because of the quality standard. Moreover, he said Australia has a very trustworthy halal certification system.“Australia has a historic relation with the Middle East, which has enhanced further with increasing airline connectivity. Now, we have direct flights from Qatar to almost all major cities of Australia and the ports are also connected,” Dr Althaf noted.He said through ‘Australia Week 2022’, besides traditional food items, LuLu is offering some exclusive Australian products such as honey, cereals, healthy lines and high-quality local produce, among others.The festival showcases major product lines that have been directly imported from Australia for many years. "On a special promotional sale at extraordinary special prices will be all that Australia is famous for — from succulent meat to fresh foods, cupboard essentials, specialty range and much more," the statement pointed out.The important categories that are imported include the entire range of fresh meat, grocery lines, honey, chilled & dairy items, cheese, almonds, Black Water and a variety of fresh fruits & vegetables, etc. Australian halal-certified food has been gaining wide acceptance and momentum in the region for long.The promotion endeavours to promote a wide range of Australian products and augment sales by increasing the extent of imports, although Aussie products have had a major presence in LuLu stores for a long time. This week-long Aussie festival will be organised every year during the season of the Australia’s National Day celebrations, the statement adds.