A new wave of entrepreneurs across the Arab world are reshaping how food is cooked, stored, and discarded, turning traditional kitchens into modern hubs of innovation and sustainability. From digital meal-planning apps in the Gulf to solar-powered composters in North Africa, these initiatives are tackling some of the region’s most pressing challenges, including food waste, energy consumption, and climate resilience.
Leading this charge is Yufeed, an Abu Dhabi-based application created by entrepreneur Arij Baidas. The platform was developed to ease the daily stress of meal planning while directly confronting the high levels of food waste common in households. This tech-driven approach, along with other regional innovations, signals a significant shift in how tradition and technology can work together to foster a culture of sustainability.
Abu Dhabi’s Answer to Meal Planning Fatigue
The inspiration behind Yufeed stemmed from a common household dilemma. “The inspiration for Yufeed came from the everyday decision fatigue that comes with constantly asking: ‘What should I cook today?’” founder Arij Baidas explained. She noted that this challenge is particularly taxing for mothers striving to provide varied and nutritious meals for their families.
Yufeed tackles this by generating weekly menus tailored to ingredients families already have in their cupboards. This smart planning helps prevent overbuying, reduces reliance on last-minute takeouts, and ultimately minimizes waste. “It’s about turning planning into prevention,” Baidas said. The app’s practical approach is resonating, with a growing user base of roughly 30,000 active users who are reporting positive changes in their daily habits.
Shifting Mindsets From Throwaway to Recreate
Beyond initial planning, Yufeed is building features that encourage users to rethink the value of leftovers, which are often stigmatized and discarded. Baidas stated that the app encourages families to reframe this through efficiency by suggesting creative ways to use surplus ingredients before they spoil, such as turning leftovers into school snacks or freezing them for later use.
This approach is fostering a significant behavioral shift. “It’s about shifting mindsets from ‘throwaway’ to ‘recreate,’” Baidas added. Families using the app are cooking more at home, making fewer grocery runs, and reusing ingredients more creatively. This trend is critical in a region where, according to the UN, the Middle East and North Africa discards nearly 34 percent of all food produced, one of the highest rates globally.
Beyond The App Regional Innovations in Waste and Energy
The movement to innovate within the kitchen extends across the region. In Morocco, researchers at Sultan Moulay Slimane University have designed an autonomous, solar-powered rotary composter. The device efficiently breaks down household food scraps into valuable fertilizer in about four weeks, turning organic waste into a useful resource for gardens and farms.
Meanwhile, Tunisia’s national push for renewable energy is inspiring change at the household level, with families beginning to adopt solar ovens. In Saudi Arabia, entrepreneurs are rethinking kitchen operations entirely. Riyadh-based Matbakhi is a food-tech platform that launches delivery-only brands from existing kitchens, creating an “ultra asset-light” model that optimizes resources and cuts operational waste while meeting the surging demand for food delivery.
About Yufeed
Yufeed is an Abu Dhabi-based mobile application designed to simplify meal planning and reduce household food waste. The platform helps users generate weekly menus based on ingredients they already own, provides recipes, and offers creative ideas for using leftovers, fostering a culture of mindful consumption and sustainability in the kitchen.
Source: Arab News PK
