13th May 2019, Abu Dhabi, UAE—LuLu, the largest hypermarket chain in the Middle East, unveiled the healthy food range that meets the nutritional standards of Weqaya food specifications at LuLu Hypermarket World Trade Centre (LuLu WTC), Abu Dhabi. In the presence of H.E Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohamed bin Butti Al Hamed, Department of Health (DOH) Abu Dhabi Chairman, and LuLu Group Chairman and Managing Director Yusuff Ali M.A, DOH Director of Public Health Division Dr. Omniyat Al Hajri and LuLu Group CEO Saifee Rupawala signed the MOU.
The Weqaya-labelled products in LuLu have been kicked off in LuLu WTC branch and will be followingly available across its stores in the UAE. Weqaya, which means prevention in Arabic, is a food specification programme launched by DOH in association with Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council. It partners with key players in the food sector to provide healthy meal selections to reduce the cases of chronic diseases caused by unhealthy food habits among locals and residents, such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and cancers.
Ali said: “We are extremely honoured to be in partnership with DOH in promoting a healthy lifestyle to this country’s multi-national community. As people are becoming very health conscious nowadays, we believe that this Weqaya program adds a new dimension to retail shopping that will give everyone long-term benefits. We also intend to implement this campaign in our other Hypermarkets in Abu Dhabi, so that a wider sector of society can benefit.”
LuLu puts a spotlight on readily made food options, which are prepared fresh every day in its stores. Healthy options like do-it-yourself salad counters, quinoa-based dishes, sushi selection, and fresh smoothies are available as well.
Dr. Al Hajri commented: “DoH strives to build a more health-conscious community and promote prevention against communicable diseases through such proactive initiatives. These initiatives are essentially aimed at instilling a culture of healthy eating and ensuring that locals and residents have a variety of healthy food options available at all times.”
Dr. Al Hajri said that the collaboration with Lulu Group represents a further step towards achieving the Department of Health’s vision of ‘A Healthier Abu Dhabi’.
With 169 stores operating worldwide, LuLu has continuously been exerting its greatest efforts to provide and sustain the supply of global products at the best rates. With the excellent combination of high-quality offerings and organised logistics system, LuLu remains to be the favourite shopping destination in the UAE.
