DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, January 21/APO Group: As global consumers increasingly focus on nutrition, health, and well-being with a back-to-basics approach of consuming minimally processed food, this Veganuary, Emirates has confirmed new concepts are in development to celebrate real, whole, and farm-to-fork plant foods.
The current development project sees a team of chefs create dishes that feel authentic, vibrant, and rooted in culinary tradition, without replacing typical proteins with engineered plant-based meats and substitutes. The new dishes are set to be onboard for customers in 2027.
The Emirates Vice President of Food & Beverage Design, Doxis Bekris, confirms the philosophy: “Our focus now is on legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, and seasonal vegetables as the heroes of the plate. These ingredients offer natural depth of flavour, texture, and nutrition without relying on ultra-processed alternatives. Instead of replicating meat, we want to draw from cuisines that have always been plant-forward, like Mediterranean mezze, Levantine grain salads, Asian noodle bowls, and African stews such as South African chakalaka, Kenyan sukuma wiki, Ugandan groundnut stew, Tunisian lablabi, Senegalese thieboudienne, Ivorian attiéké with vegetables, Guinean peanut stew, Egyptian koshari, and Tanzanian mchicha. In our view, this approach feels genuine and culturally rich.”
He added, “Although there are many commendable lab-based alternatives available, real food aligns with our sustainability goals and guest expectations for health-conscious choices. It’s about transparency for our customers who want to know what they’re eating, as well as have confidence that it’s good for them and the planet. We want to shift from substitutes to a celebration of plants, where it’s not about what’s missing – but instead what is gained in authenticity, flavor, and creativity.”
Emirates serves half a million vegan meals each year across Africa and globally
Emirates now has 488 vegan recipes in rotation across 140 destinations, representing a 60 percent increase in total recipes from 2024 and showing dedication to vegan customers.
Emirates currently serves half a million vegan meals each year. Vegan meal consumption grows in line with passenger volume increases, where last year the top destinations with customers ordering vegan meals were London in first place, followed by Sydney, Bangkok, Melbourne, Frankfurt, Manchester, Mumbai, Bali, and Singapore. Emirates attributes some of the demand to non-vegan customers opting for vegan cuisine when flying, as a lighter option often considered easier to digest. Across its African markets, Emirates notes growing demand for vegan meals in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tunisia, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Egypt, and Tanzania, reflecting increased interest in plant-based cuisine across the continent.
Vegan options are available to order and pre-order onboard, as well as in Emirates Lounges. Customers can request vegan meals on all Emirates flights and across all classes of travel up to 24 hours before departure. However, on high-demand routes, plant-based meals are also provided as part of the main menu options.
Crafted vegan options in Emirates’ Lounges Dubai
At the Dubai International Airport, Emirates currently has 7 lounges located in its flagship Terminal 3 – 3 for First Class and 3 for Business Class customers, as well as the Emirates Lounge catering to all premium customers. The lounges offer a wide array of vegan options, from Baharat and turmeric-spiced kofta in coconut gravy at the buffet area to an à la carte breakfast of warm amaranth porridge with compressed green apples, red grapes, raspberries, and walnuts in the First-Class Lounge, amongst many others.
