UMAMI takes Guyanese products to Gulf Market with 1st shipment to Qatar

UMAMI Incorporated has reached a milestone for Guyanese manufacturing and agro-processing as its first container shipment left for LuLu Hypermarket in Qatar. The container left Guyana at the start of Agriculture Month 2026, showing how local products can enter markets abroad.
The export comes after UMAMI launched officially in Doha in September, marking a move from introduction to steady commercial trade. Importantly, the shipment shows that a Guyanese-owned and Guyanese-made brand can compete outside its own borders, as products made in Guyana by local workers reach Gulf consumers.
For UMAMI, this shipment is more than one export as it highlights a chance for Guyana to add value to its farms by creating processed and manufactured goods, building brands that compete worldwide, and opening new markets for local companies.

President Dr Irfaan Ali welcomed the development, calling the shipment an example of Guyana turning economic promise into real trade.
He stated that deliberate work has been done to strengthen business links between Guyana, Qatar and the wider Gulf region, and he urged the sector to grow trade through these new partnerships.
According to the President, UMAMI’s first commercial shipment shows what Guyanese manufacturers can achieve by investing in quality, meeting standards, building production capacity, and keeping long-term goals while partnering with established global players like LuLu to reach new customers.
Every container of value-added products shipped abroad, he noted, helps strengthen Brand Guyana and creates opportunities for farmers, manufacturers, and workers. It also supports Guyana’s effort to move past exporting raw goods and toward a more varied, competitive manufacturing and export economy.
The Guyanese Head of State during his visit to Qatar last month met with the Chair and Managing Director of Abu Dhabi‑based LuLu Group International, M. A. Yusuff Ali.
During that meeting, the LuLu boss expressed his commitment to invest in Guyana and said a technical team will visit within 30 days to explore opportunities.
LuLu Retail is one of the largest retailers in the Gulf Co‑operation Council (GCC), operating 267 stores across six countries with a global sourcing network spanning 85 nations.