How Dubai Chocolate Went Viral — and Became UAE Soft Power
British culture site Far Out Magazine published a feature on August 26, 2026 arguing that Dubai chocolate — the pistachio-and-kadayif candy bar that has spread globally over the past 18 to 24 months — has become part of a UAE national image campaign the writer labels food-washing. The piece opens with Pret A Manger's simultaneous rollout of Dubai-flavored hot chocolate, lattes and desserts, and notes the bar's ubiquity from social feeds to gas-station checkout counters, with its green shell now functioning as a visual shorthand for the social-media era.
From a TikTok clip to a royal collaboration
- 2021: British-Egyptian chocolatier Sarah Hamouda, based in Dubai, developed the bar out of a craving for chocolate and pistachio, naming it "Can't Get Knafeh of It."
- 2023: Influencer Maria Vehera's taste-test video spread on TikTok, prompting a wave of creators to post their own versions and spin-off "Dubai-flavored" products.
- 2024: Dubai's crown prince partnered with Hamouda to launch his own branded chocolate bar.
Far Out reports that UAE authorities have simultaneously promoted Dubai chocolate through paid media placements. Reporter Alex Skopic notes that a CNN Travel article on the topic carried an editor's note disclosing that the piece was sponsored by the country it covered.
Sports sponsorships, cultural investment and national image
The report situates this within the UAE's long-running image-building strategy, using oil wealth to promote a luxurious, high-end tourism image abroad while critics say it obscures domestic human-rights concerns. Cited examples include Arsenal's stadium being named for Emirates airline, Manchester City's ownership by the UAE's deputy prime minister, and UAE investment in Western cultural institutions along with cash incentives to attract film productions.
The writer argues that while sports-washing has been discussed for years, food-washing appears new but has a longer history — citing Thailand's promotion of pad thai since the 1930s, first to build national identity domestically and later, with cash incentives, to attract foreign tourists with a milder, more accessible dish than traditional Thai cuisine.