CAMELICIOUS I PROFILE

footprints in Sweden and the Netherlands,” said Mr Ashraf. “We have revamped our operation in Poland and are growing steadily in the UK. We now have a very small sideshow in Malaysia as well. Even considering the negative impact of Covid, we have significantly expanded in the last few years.”

This is impressive considering the Camelicious factory, farm and office are all located in the same 15-square kilometre area in Dubai. “We are a compact unit,” as Mr Ashraf put it.

More impressive still, is that the company began production in 2003 with only 25 camels, while the herd today numbers 10,000. That is enough to produce 12 to

15,000 litres of milk a day. With over 650 employees keeping operations running smoothly, the company is going from strength to strength.

“We are aiming at 20 to 25% year-onyear growth from 2023,” said Mr Ashraf. “That is our goal. The signs are very good, and the first few months of this year have been excellent.”

The health benefits of camel milk are vast. It is 50% lower in fat than cow’s milk and higher in calcium; it is rich in Vitamin C. There are no known allergies to camel’s milk, and it is thought to be a good alternative for those with a cow milk protein allergy. Some studies suggest it may even be helpful to sufferers of Type 2 diabetes. These are the messages that the company hopes to convey as it expands into new markets, with a large emphasis on the value of preserving traditional practices.

Sustainability and longevity

As Mr Ashraf explained, the farm is a result of the vision of Vice President and Prime Minster of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This association with a world leader means the company adheres strictly to high standards, including the maintenance of a sustainable operation.

“That is why we have our own solar energy farm in the factory,” said Mr Ashraf. “We are a net exporter to the grid; we sell to the network and don’t consume anything from it. Our energy footprint is nil.”

Camelicious received an A-Grade for hygiene from the Dubai Municipality. The company is fully ISO certified, FDA approved, 100% halal and vetted by the EU each year to maintain the appropriate compliance standards to export there. All these things take time to establish and sustain, but longevity is one of the things Camelicious has on its side.

“We are the best in the world when it comes to camel milk,” Mr Ashraf enthused, “because of our breeding techniques, the farm-to-fork management system and because the facility that has been honed for the last 20 years. So, if any major competitor were to come in today, the learning curve for them would be very steep. There is nobody close to us in terms of structure, business, farming or production.”

Camelicious prizes longevity in its relationship with suppliers, too. The company has been working with its UK distributor for nine years and many partnerships in the GCC stretch back more than ten.

“We are into relationships that last,” Mr Ashraf said. “In this business, results take time. It’s not like cow’s milk where you try to sell volumes. This requires a different kind of mindset, because the dividends are two or three years down the line. So we are looking for partners who take a longer-term view.”

The future of camel milk

Camelicious is as appealing to a specific sort of consumer as it is to a patient partner. With that longer-term view in mind, over the next five years the company hopes to double its turnover and expand its herd to more than 20,000, while continuing to cater to its niche.

“We produce roughly five to six million litres of milk a year, which is nothing when compared to cows,” said Mr Ashraf. “We are not taking over the world; we are looking for a very discerning customer across the markets. Obviously, we cannot displace the global cow milk giants and that is not our mandate at all. Our objective is to provide a viable alternative, if people are looking for it.”

One of the markets Camelicious has set its sights on is the US. The company is planning to move into bricks-and-mortar retail there later in 2023. Another target closer to home is Saudi Arabia, which has the largest population in the GCC.

“The KSA is a very important market for us in the coming years,” explained Mr Ashraf. “It could be a primary driver of results. We are also working on a longterm plan in China, where there are some regulatory issues. We are in the process of finalising a lot of documentation and government-related work there. Once that is done, there is no looking back for us.”

It is not only China: there are similar challenges involved in introducing the necessary regulatory framework to export camel milk to many different countries. This ongoing process with relevant government bodies across the world is one the company is accustomed to and can use its decades of experience to solve.

A newer challenge has emerged in the form of one of the largest consumer markets: young people. Specifically, how to sell a traditional, heritage product to a generation brought up with a smartphone in their hand? In response, Camelicious is undergoing a rebrand of all social media channels. The objective is to attract the attention of, and tap into, a vast potential customer-base.

“How do we market camel milk to Generation Z? They are the Instagram and Snapchat generation. Their attention spans are short,” Mr Ashraf reflected. “It’s not like attracting the Baby Boomers. We are in a ‘one click, one photo, one message,’ kind of world. We have to work out how to be relevant in this context. But it is not a problem – it is what drives us.” n