Guyanese agro-processing company UMAMI Incorporated has announced its entry into the Qatar market, with its first commercial shipment to LuLu Hypermarket in the Gulf country now sailing from Guyana.
The shipment marks a significant milestone for the local manufacturer, coming shortly after UMAMI’s official market launch in Doha in September and coinciding with the start of Guyana’s Agriculture Month 2026.
The company said the shipment represents the transition from introducing its products to establishing sustained commercial trade in Qatar, while demonstrating the potential for Guyanese-made, value-added products to reach international consumers.
According to a statement from the company, President Irfaan Ali welcomed the development, describing the shipment as evidence of Guyana’s efforts to convert growing international relationships into tangible trade opportunities.
“We have worked deliberately to build the bridges between Guyana, Qatar and the wider Gulf region; the task before our private sector now is to increase the traffic across those bridges,” Ali said.
He said UMAMI’s first commercial shipment demonstrates what can be achieved when local manufacturers invest in quality, standards, capacity and ambition, while working with international partners such as LuLu to access new markets.
UMAMI has expressed appreciation to LuLu Group for providing the Guyanese manufacturer with a platform to introduce its products to consumers in Qatar.
Dr. Mohamed Althaf, Global Director of LuLu Group, described the partnership as an important opportunity to strengthen commercial ties between Guyana and the Gulf region.
“It is an honor for LuLu Group to partner with UMAMI and support the introduction of this pioneering product from Guyana to the Qatar market,” Althaf said.
Althaf said the company looked forward to building a strong and enduring partnership to support the continued growth of Guyanese exports.
Guyana’s Ambassador to Qatar, Safraaz Ahmad Shadood, described the shipment as a breakthrough for Guyanese manufacturing and expressed the hope that it would be followed by further exports to the Gulf.
“This represents the first of many containers of Guyanese-produced products which is destined for the Gulf,” Shadood said.
He credited the Government of Guyana with creating an investment climate that supports indigenous industries and highlighted the role of the Guyana Embassy in Qatar in using economic diplomacy to create opportunities for locally produced goods.
Shadood encouraged other Guyanese manufacturers that have met the requirements for entry into Middle Eastern markets to take advantage of the opportunities now emerging.
For UMAMI, the company said the timing of the shipment during Agriculture Month is particularly significant, as the company sees greater value-added processing and manufacturing as an important next step in Guyana’s agricultural development.
UMAMI Managing Director Chris Persaud said there was a strong sense of pride in seeing a container of products manufactured in Guyana leave the country for an international market.
“There is a special sense of pride in seeing a container leave Guyana knowing that what is inside was manufactured here, by Guyanese people, and will ultimately carry our country’s name onto international supermarket shelves,” Persaud said.
UMAMI said its objective extends beyond the inaugural shipment, with the company aiming to establish a sustainable export programme and a permanent presence for Guyanese-made products in Qatar and the wider Gulf region.
The company also hopes its entry into the market will help open doors for other Guyanese manufacturers that can meet international regulatory, food safety, production and packaging requirements.
UMAMI also acknowledged Guyanese consumers, whose support in the domestic market, it said, helped lay the foundation for its international expansion.
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
