Nearly 85% of 3,000 respondents in The Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2024 view influencer marketing as “an effective form of marketing.”

The global influencer marketing industry is expected to reach $24 billion by the end of 2024.

One of the most popular industries where bloggers and influencers thrive is the food-and-beverage (F&B) industry.

The global F&B market is expected to reach $8.9 trillion by 2026, registering a compound annual growth rate of 8.7%, a report by The Business Research Company (TBRC) shows.

In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the F&B industry is growing at an incredible rate. Research forecasts the GCC F&B industry to reach $128 billion by 2029, from $94 billion in 2024.

Food and dining make up a sizable portion of the Middle Eastern travel and tourism experience. People from around the world like to explore the different flavors the Middle East has to offer.

That’s why the number of food bloggers has skyrocketed in recent years. The most popular locations with food bloggers and influencers are Dubai, Egypt, and most recently, Saudi Arabia.

But with so many food bloggers around, where do you go and who do you follow?

In this article, we’ll be taking a deep dive into influencer marketing statistics and research. We’ll also help you discover the top food bloggers in Dubai (and the UAE), along with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East.

The challenges of influencer marketing

Influencer marketing, no matter how effective, has its pros and cons. From fears of fraud to paid sponsorships that make consumers weary of ‘paid’ food bloggers, there are a few challenges.

According to restaurant and hospitality expert Alexandra Leung, influencer collaborations have “proven to be a highly effective strategy for many restaurants.” Especially those “targeting younger demographics.”

Many food bloggers turn to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to showcase delectable dishes, “enticing their followers to visit the featured establishments.”

“In some cases, a single post from a popular influencer can lead to a surge in customers and a significant increase in revenue,” explains Leung.

However, things aren’t always so cozy with food influencers, regardless of where you are in the world.

Many consumers believe restaurants take extra care to ensure the dining experience is tailored to get a 5-star rating from the food blogger. In addition, because many restaurants pay food influencers, these influencers cannot be unbiased in their review.

Leung notes that restaurants may sometimes “create ‘Instagram-worthy’ dishes or prioritize the needs of influencers over their regular customers.”

Instead of focusing on building customer retention, the restaurants may hurt their good relationship with their guests. Or as Leung puts it, may lead to “a disconnect between the portrayed image and the actual dining experience.”

It’s because of those reasons, many of the top food bloggers in Egypt prefer to order takeout, sometimes even under other people’s names, to give viewers an unfiltered review and experience.

While they may not get the restaurant dining experience, they offer an honest review of the food. The restaurant or diner doesn’t know it’s about to be reviewed before millions of subscribers and followers, so they send the standard quality of food and packaging.

Influencer marketing and the F&B industry

Looking at the data, it’s clear more businesses are turning to influencer marketing.

Roughly 60% of respondents in The Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2024 survey who use influencers say they “intend to increase their influence marketing budget over 2024.”

Moreover, nearly 25% of respondents plan to “spend more than 40% of their entire marketing budget on influencer campaigns.”

While these are general statistics, not specific to the F&B industry, the data offers insight into how different brands use influencer marketing.

For the F&B industry, the best type of food influencers restaurants should collaborate with are micro-influencers, says Paul Davidescu, founder of Tangoo Entertainment, an F&B marketing company.

Davidescu describes micro-influencers as “food hobbyists” with a following of 1,000 to 25,000 “hyperlocal Instagram followers, an engagement rate of 2-10%, an eye for photography, among other criteria.”

Engagement across the agency’s 50 influencer marketing campaigns reached 7.38%. According to Davidescu, this engagement rate is “almost 5 times the industry average.”

That said, Davidescu notes that “proving sales was a bigger challenge.” He explains that online sales are limited at most restaurants, making it harder to gauge the number of people who saw the influencer campaign and visited the restaurant.

Moreover, many food influencers “like to ‘warm up’ their audience with a brand awareness campaign” to see how audiences will react to the campaign and brand.

Research by Statista expects nearly 6% of total revenue in the food industry to come from online sales in 2024.

In other words, when running an influencer marketing campaign for your restaurant, find out how to measure its impact beforehand.

Top food bloggers in Dubai

The following are our top picks for food influencers in Dubai and the broader UAE. They’re not arranged in any specific order.

Samantha at Foodiva

Foodiva, The Restaurant Whisperer, is a restaurant news, reviews, and food features website, housing various experts.

Managed and curated by a British-Greek-Cypriot foodie, Foodiva runs the successful Foodiva Newsletter, offering an “inside guide on restaurants in Dubai.”

There is a free monthly newsletter, along with 3 paid tiers for newsletter subscriptions.

Foodiva describes itself as an “impartial, intelligent” source for restaurant reviews, food features, and dining experiences.

Check out the Foodiva Website. Find them on Instagram (33,200 followers), Facebook (6,600 followers) and LinkedIn (2,000 followers).

Where My Food At

Hosted by Dubai-based Indian couple Kim and Den, Where My Food At is a leading food blog in the UAE.

Although Where My Food At began as a hobby. Fast forward 10 years and the award-winning couple is still going strong, exploring food around the UAE and the world.

With nearly 92,000 followers on Instagram, Where My Food At is a foodie account you want to keep your eyes on.

Dubai Confidential

Dubai Confidential, now Dubai and Abu Dhabi Confidential, is a Dubai food influencer sharing unique dining experiences across the two busiest emirates.

The food blogger describes itself as a “no-fuss practical lifestyle website for women, regardless of their age, nationality, income, relationship status, and size.”

Follow Dubai Confidential on Instagram (39,000 followers) and Facebook (nearly 500,000 likes and followers). Check out the Dubai Confidential website.

Mr. Taster

One of the most followed food bloggers in Dubai is Mr. Taster with 1.9 million followers on Instagram. Hubert Sepidnam, known by his food blogging name Mr. Taster is an international food blogger, based out of Dubai.

Follow Mr. Taster on Instagram (1.9 million followers), Facebook (599,000 followers), and YouTube (115,000 subscribers). Check out Mr. Taster’s website.

Around2UAE

Around2UAE is a popular food blogger, traveling the UAE for food and beverage experiences.

Follow Around2UAE on Instagram (23,800 followers).

Courtney Brandt

American expat Courtney Brandt is a popular food blogger, sharing delectable dining and hospitality experiences across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.

Follow Courtney Brandt on Instagram (20,000+ followers), LinkedIn (4,240 followers), or subscribe to her weekly newsletter via Substack.

JustfoodDXB

Alex Augusti is the Brit behind popular food blogging account JustfoodDXB. Augusti says he’s “on the hunt for Dubai’s best restaurants.”

Follow JustfoodDXB on Instagram (278,000 followers), Tiktok (156,000 followers), and YouTube (7,950 subscribers).

TheDubaiList

Haya Kaabar runs the successful food influencer Instagram account TheDubaiList.

Follow Haya Kaabar aka TheDubaiList on Instagram (199,000 followers).

Top food bloggers in the GCC and the MENA region

Hussain Sallam, S7S

While there are many Saudi food bloggers out there, few have acquired notable fame as S7S.

Hussain Sallam, better known as S7S, is one of the most popular food bloggers and influencers in Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and the MENA region.

Follow Hussain Allam S7S on YouTube (8.72 million subscribers), Snapchat (2.29 million followers), Instagram (3.3 million followers), Tiktok (6 million followers).

Sheika Hesa Al Khalifa of HK.Finds

Unlike many food bloggers on this list, Sheikha Hesa is a member of the Bahrain royal family. She’s also a long-term resident in the UAE.

You can follow Sheikha Hesa on Instagram (229,000 followers).

Chef Issam Rhachi, Park Hyatt Marrakech

Chef Issam Rhachi is a different type of food influencer on this list. Though not a food blogger, Rhachi is ‘the’ chef heading TFAYA, the brasserie arabesque at the Park Hyatt Marrakech hotel.

Join the Chef’s 21,500+ followers on Instagram

Top food bloggers in Egypt

Egypt is home to hundreds, if not thousands of food bloggers. But it’s important to follow foodies who really offer insightful experiences, including pricing and pros and cons of dining in certain areas.

mon3esh

Mon3esh (Arabic for ‘refreshing’) is a popular, honest, and super funny Egyptian food blogger.

Follow Mon3esh on Facebook (2.3 million followers), Instagram (199,000 followers), YouTube (706,000 subscribers).

Amr Sherif

Another popular Egyptian food blogger is Amr Sherif. Like Mon3esh, Sherif orders food, desserts, and dishes at home to try, away from prying eyes.

Follow Amr Sherif on YouTube (1.25 million subscribers), Facebook (802,000 followers), Instagram (241,000 followers).

How to run an influencer campaign

Now that you have an idea about the top food influencers and bloggers in Dubai and the Middle East, it’s time to create your influencer marketing campaign.

Working with influencers can help your restaurant

  • Build brand awareness
  • Grow your social media accounts and following
  • Gain traction when entering new markets
  • Get feedback on your dishes, beverages, regular and seasonal menus
  • Increase restaurant sales and foot traffic

The secret to any successful marketing campaign is knowing what it entails and what to expect.

  • Set your goals, which should be SMART goals. That is: Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely or time-bound.
  • Choose and vet your influencers and ask about their pricing or fees
  • Create a campaign and decide the length of the campaign (1 week, 1 month, or 3 months…etc.)
  • Know what each influencer brings to the table and how they support your campaign.
  • Know how to measure the results of your campaign, and which results to measure, from each influencer.

Wrapping it up

Influencer marketing can be great for restaurants, eateries, and even food trucks. It can be part of your broader marketing strategy.

However, it’s important you know what to expect and what your expectations look like.

You should also work with influencers who are honest in their reviews and whose following is your target market.