Thai food lovers across the UAE and Bahrain will have more flavours to explore this September and October as the Thai Fruits and Food Festival 2026 arrives at supermarkets across both countries.
Organised by the Thai Trade Center Dubai under Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), the month-long campaign brings together fresh Thai produce, cooking essentials, rice, sauces, snacks and other grocery favourites.
Held under the theme “Think Food, Think Thailand,” the festival will reach 31 supermarket outlets operated by Choithrams and Al Maya in the UAE and Mega Mart in Bahrain. Shoppers can also find discounts of up to 25 per cent on selected products.
Thai Food Festival Rolls Out Across the UAE and Bahrain
The festival will take place in stages, giving shoppers different opportunities to visit depending on where they live.
Choithrams will begin the promotion across 16 UAE stores from September 4 to 17. Al Maya will follow at 10 participating outlets from September 15 to 29.
The festival then moves into Bahrain, where Mega Mart will run the promotion at five stores from September 23 to October 10.
As some of the dates overlap, Thai products will be available through participating retailers for much of September in the UAE before the campaign continues into October in Bahrain.
Beyond introducing shoppers to new ingredients, the initiative gives Thai food producers greater exposure in Gulf markets through established supermarket networks.
Tropical Fruits and Fresh Thai Ingredients
Fresh produce is likely to be a highlight for many shoppers.
The fruit selection includes rambutan, mangosteen, guava, pink guava, red rose apple, peeled jackfruit and Phulae pineapple.
For anyone planning to cook at home, there will also be baby asparagus, baby corn, lemongrass, red and green chillies, holy basil, sweet basil and lime leaves ingredients commonly found in Thai dishes.
Fresh mango, however, will not be part of the current selection because it is low season and supplies of export-quality fruit are limited.
Shoppers can still pick up Thai Hom Mali rice, one of Thailand’s best-known agricultural exports. Famous for its distinctive fragrance, the rice works particularly well with curries, stir-fries and other Asian dishes.
Thai Curry Pastes, Sauces and Pantry Staples
Those interested in recreating their favourite Thai dishes at home will have plenty of options beyond fresh produce.
The promotion includes green and red curry pastes, tom yum paste, fish sauce, soy sauce and Thai-style chilli sauces, along with snacks, seasonings and ready-to-cook products.
Having these ingredients together in mainstream supermarkets makes experimenting with Thai cooking a little easier, especially for shoppers who enjoy the cuisine at restaurants but have never tried preparing it themselves.
More experienced home cooks can also use the festival to stock up on familiar pantry staples while selected products are discounted.
Frozen Fruit Ice Sticks Get UAE Trial
UAE shoppers will also get an early taste of several new frozen fruit products.
Choithrams is trialling a range of frozen fruit ice sticks exclusively during the festival, with the limited release being used to gauge local consumer interest before any potential wider launch.
The selection includes a Golden Nam Dok Mai Mango Ice Stick, as well as mango paired with dark chocolate, mango with dark chocolate and almond, and banana coated with dark chocolate.
As this is a limited retail trial, availability may differ between participating stores.
Where to Find the Thai Fruits and Food Festival 2026
Participating Choithrams branches include Safa Park, The Greens, Green Community, Umm Suqeim, Silicon Oasis, Bay Square and Sharjah, among other locations.
Al Maya stores taking part include branches in Murooj, Marina, Sports City, Satwa, Reef Mall, Muraqabat, Dubai Silicon Oasis and JLT.
In Bahrain, shoppers can visit participating Mega Mart stores in Amwaj, Juffair, Riffa, Saar and Segaya.
Thai Trade Center Dubai will also highlight the festival on social media throughout September, including retailer features and behind-the-scenes content looking at how Thai products make their way to supermarket shelves.
Bringing Thai Flavours Closer to Gulf Shoppers
Thai cuisine has a strong following across the Gulf, but cooking an authentic dish at home often starts with finding the right ingredients.
The Thai Fruits and Food Festival 2026 brings many of those ingredients together in one place, from tropical fruits and fresh herbs to fragrant rice, curry pastes, sauces and snacks.
For those less familiar with Thai food, it is also an opportunity to try something different — perhaps tasting mangosteen for the first time, experimenting with fresh Thai basil or making a homemade curry.
With 31 participating supermarket outlets and promotions running at different times from September 4 to October 10, shoppers across the UAE and Bahrain will have several weeks to explore the flavours of Thailand closer to home.