Economics
Virus, Expats and Ramadan Stress Test Food Security in Gulf
- The U.A.E. imports as much as 90% of the food it consumes
- Efforts have echoes of the global food crisis that began 2007
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Around the world the coronavirus pandemic has brutally exposed economic vulnerabilities. For wealthy but parched states in the Gulf, it’s resurrecting deep concerns over food.
Supermarket shelves are still well stocked, if missing some fresh cheeses or imported seafood. But as the virus disrupts global supply chains, desert nations like the United Arab Emirates that import as much as 90% of the food their largely expatriate populations consume are treating the issue as a matter of national security.