For practically fifty years, Summit Buying and selling has been on the forefront of delivering genuine Japanese meals to the UAE and the broader Center East. The corporate now provides roughly 70 per cent of all Japanese meals distributed within the UAE, strengthening the nation’s place as a strategic gateway for Japanese elements and delicacies all through the area.
On the coronary heart of this transformation is Mr. Shiro Ohkubo, a long-time UAE resident and the area’s first Japanese Meals Goodwill Ambassador. Beneath his management at Summit Buying and selling, Japanese meals and agricultural imports into the UAE have elevated from 400 million yen to over 2.6 billion yen over the previous decade. This progress displays not solely rising demand but in addition a deepening cultural appreciation for Japanese delicacies throughout numerous communities.
“The UAE is quick turning into a worldwide centre for meals logistics, and Summit Buying and selling has labored to make sure the UAE is seen as the important thing entry level for Japanese meals into the Center East,” stated Mr. Ohkubo.
A legacy constructed on logistics and belief
Established within the UAE over 47 years in the past, Summit Buying and selling imports round 80 per cent of its merchandise from Japan, sourcing immediately from meals producers, cooperatives, and wholesale distributors. With logistics hubs in each Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the corporate provides greater than 2,000 purchasers throughout the GCC, together with nationwide airways, five-star lodges, high-end eating places, embassies, superstar cooks, and main supermarkets.
Summit additionally distributes to over 10 nations, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman. It was the primary to deliver halal-certified Japanese wagyu beef to Dubai in 2014, to Qatar in 2015, and to Saudi Arabia in 2023. The corporate launched common air freight companies to ship contemporary Japanese seafood, a class beforehand restricted to frozen choices within the area.
Selling Japanese meals and tradition
Summit Buying and selling’s influence goes past its provide chain. The corporate often participates in flagship meals exhibitions corresponding to Gulfood and the Saudi Meals Present, providing logistical and promotional help to Japanese producers searching for to enter the area. Collaborations with native cooks and eating places assist showcase regional specialities, whereas gala’s and tasting occasions introduce new audiences to the range of Japanese delicacies.
In 2022, Mr. Ohkubo hosted a live-streamed Japanese cooking session within the UAE, with help from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. He additionally launched a trilingual web site that includes over 20 recipes in Japanese, English, and Arabic, lots of which mix Japanese and Center Japanese flavours.
His contributions have been most seen throughout Expo 2020 Dubai, the place Summit Buying and selling managed all meals logistics for the Japan Pavilion restaurant, Sushiro. The operation encompassed over 500 product classes, leading to Sushiro reaching its highest month-to-month gross sales amongst its 64 worldwide branches in March 2022.
E-Commerce and on a regular basis entry
Recognising rising native curiosity in Japanese house eating, Summit launched Hinomaru Shokudo in Abu Dhabi. The restaurant, which expanded in June 2024, provides bento packing containers, sushi, ramen, and quite a lot of Japanese dishes utilizing genuine elements.
To help house cooks, the corporate created the Summit WEB Retailer, an e-commerce platform with greater than 2,000 merchandise out there for supply. The platform features a cellular app, on-line cost choices, and the primary Arabic-language Japanese meals web site within the area. Its buyer base now features a broad mixture of UAE nationals, Westerners, Filipinos, Indians, and Arabs.
Supporting the neighborhood and international occasions
Summit Buying and selling has supported main worldwide occasions by supplying Japanese meals merchandise, together with the FIFA World Cup 2022, the World Judo Championships, and the AFC Asian Cup 2024. It additionally performed a key position in diplomatic occasions and nationwide celebrations, together with the Emperor’s Birthday reception hosted by the Japanese Embassy and the official luncheon for Prime Minister Kishida’s go to to the UAE in 2023.
The corporate has actively collaborated with UAE establishments as properly. In March 2024, underneath the ne’ma meals safety technique, Mr. Ohkubo performed a meals waste consciousness session for schoolchildren and held a cooking workshop utilizing Japanese and Center Japanese elements.
“Our mission has all the time been to transcend simply importing meals. We’re right here to introduce the guts of Japanese tradition by way of its delicacies, and to construct lasting bridges between Japan and the Center East by way of belief, high quality, and shared experiences,” stated Mr. Ohkubo.
Awards and recognition
For his contributions to cultural diplomacy and commerce, Mr. Ohkubo acquired the UAE Golden Visa in 2023, recognising his standing as a key contributor to the nation’s enterprise and cultural panorama. Summit Buying and selling has additionally acquired a number of recognitions from JETRO for its efforts in e-commerce and meals service, together with being the primary wholesaler and restaurant within the Center East licensed as “Japanese Meals Supporters.”
With over 500 Japanese eating places now working within the UAE, in comparison with simply 140 in 2013, Summit Buying and selling’s position in shaping this culinary transformation is evident. By way of logistics, advocacy, and a ardour for cultural change, the corporate continues to deepen the UAE’s ties with Japan and redefine what it means to deliver a tradition to the desk.
Driving restaurant progress and culinary confidence
Mr. Ohkubo has performed a pivotal position in supporting the speedy progress of Japanese eating places throughout the area. By way of lectures, workshops, and promotional occasions, he continues to boost consciousness of genuine Japanese elements and cooking methods, serving to demystify the delicacies for each entrepreneurs and customers. His hands-on steerage has been instrumental for corporations searching for to open Japanese eating places within the Center East, providing sensible insights drawn from many years of operational expertise. This has helped decrease boundaries to market entry and instilled better confidence in abroad growth.
Past the preliminary setup, Summit Buying and selling ensures these institutions are arrange for long-term success, offering dependable logistics, constant high quality management, and entry to a complete vary of imported Japanese elements. Mr. Ohkubo additionally often leads delegations of native cooks to go to farms and manufacturing websites in Japan, fostering deeper understanding of the craft and tradition behind the delicacies. By way of these initiatives, Summit Buying and selling continues to form not solely the supply however the authenticity and appreciation of Japanese meals within the area.