The millennials in the Middle East are transforming the food culture from posting photos on Instagram to “in real life” communal experiences.
The UAE has the Middle East and North Africa’s highest Instagram adoption rate and second-highest number of daily users, at 1.2 million, according to the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government’s Arab Social Media Report.
Instagram is a major platform for spreading the culinary love in the UAE. A Boston Consulting Group survey shows that millennials eat out over three times a week, 20% higher than non-millennials.
“The UAE’s restaurants, hotels and celebrity chefs are all harnessing Instagram to engage with youth audiences and to enhance their brands. Food is playing a starring role on Instagram and Snapchat. Millennials want more than to dine out, they want to spread the culinary love with communal experiences that that they can share with friends and family,” says Ramzi Nakad, co-founder of experiential event agency BRAG.
Bringing together the UAE’s millennial foodies, BRAG and Miral – the developer behind Yas Island’s leisure attractions – have collaborated to create Club Social whose first edition, taking place from April 27-28 on Yas Island, will focus on food.