Australian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mark Donovan launched LuLu Hypermarket’s “Australia Week” on Sunday. The inauguration took place at LuLu’s outlet in The Roof mall, in Al-Yasmin district, Riyadh.
The grand showcase of more than 770 Australian product lines representing 97 Australian brands — including 10 new brands — gives shoppers an opportunity to experiment with premium Aussie flavors in ice creams, coffee, pasta sauces and much more.
Accompanying Donovan was Todd Miller, trade and investment commissioner (commercial) at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission.
Ambassador Donovan was greeted with a “Purple Carpet” and welcomed by Shehim Mohammed, director of LuLu Hypermarket Saudi Arabia, and other senior management members.
The grand inauguration included the unveiling of a gateway modeled as Melbourne’s Flinders Street. Children performed Australian folk dances and guests were served coffee prepared with Australian cricket star Steve Smith’s new startup “Oat Milk.”
There was also a live BBQ station serving tender grilled Australian meat. The ambassador also unveiled the lineup of new products on stage.
Gourmet items that Australia is famous for are on offer at promotional prices. These include juicy cuts of Australian meat, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and dairy products — especially cheeses, butter and milk. Frozen foods such as oriental vegetable mix, berries, prepared meat snacks, organic honey and biscuits are also available.
It is worth noting that the Australian meat industry is a leading exporter of prime cuts of red meat to Saudi Arabia.
“We are proud of the Australian role in underpinning the food security plan of Saudi Arabia and we believe that LuLu as a fast-expanding retail group has a vital role to play in this. We are very happy to work with the LuLu Group to highlight the excellent range of products that come from Down Under,” said Donovan.
“Beyond the traditional Australian meat and livestock and dairy industry, our portfolio of food products and brands has expanded in recent years to embrace global food trends, and great-tasting and healthy pasta sauces, ice creams and coffee, as well as biscuits and chocolate have added value to the Australian food chain.”
This Australia Week at Lulu is a great way for lovers of hearty Aussie food ingredients to experiment with the finest foods from our country.”
Mohammed, LuLu’s director in Saudi Arabia, said the festival represented LuLu’s well-known efforts to cater to the sophisticated Saudi palate with foods from all over the world.
“With our global network of sourcing offices and state-of-the-art warehousing and logistics support, Lulu Hypermarket is in a great position to present the best food trends,” he added. “This festival is a wonderful opportunity to indulge the gourmet in you and try some of the choicest cuts of Aussie meat, amazing fruit and vegetables and a wide range of cheeses and dairy products and specialty branded foods, bursting with goodness and taste.”
Australia Week runs until Oct. 28 across all LuLu Hypermarket branches in the Kingdom.
