The new kosher kingdom! UAE gets first kosher supermarket

The first kosher supermarket has opened in the centre of Dubai, offering quality products imported from Israel, EU and the US as well as home-cooked food for pre-Shabbat shoppers. 

Rimon, which means “pomegranate” in Hebrew, spans some 130 square metres, and was opened due to an growing demand for kosher food and Israeli products due to the increase in Jewish visitors since the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and the UAE.

The products offered to costumers shopping in Rimon include quality meat and chicken products under the highest Jewish quality standard with kosher Mehudar certification.

The supermarket will also host a Jewish food market in the weekends, with fresh home cooking from various ethnic cuisines.

“Rimon” was established by long time UAE Jewish community leader Rabbi Levi Duchman along with community members Sonia and Alec Sellem as well as local authorities.

“Our wonderful community, which keeps growing and prospering here in the UAE, most gratefully continues to benefit from the extraordinary embrace we have received from the Emirates government and local authorities, for over a decade now,” said Dutchman, who is also the founder of the government-licenced Emirates Agency for Kosher Certification.

Duchman added that in order to enable residents and visitors full Jewish life here, “we have established Jewish institutions and communities, openly celebrate Shabbat, holidays and simchas – and enjoy quality kosher food, any day and everywhere, across the Emirates.”

Since the early 2000s, the Jewish community in UAE has grown and now numbers thousands of families. Since 2014, Rabbi Duchman has established places of worship in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, a Jewish educational system and a mikvah, as well as relocation support and business networking.

Rabbi Duchman to enable full Jewish life, including places of worship in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, a Jewish educational system and a mikvah, as well as relocation support, business networking and rich community life.

The Jewish community in UAE can also enjoy kosher restaurants and cafés, holiday and Shabbat dinners, kosher catering. And for those preferring to shop online, BASSAR (“meat”) offers costumers kosher meat products delivered to their homes.