The Emirati “Fix” inspired “the movement in the world of chocolate” and is concerned about the exploitation of its brand

The huge rise in the prices of “Dubai Chocolate” led to a global crisis in the supply of pistachio commodity, thus exacerbating the global deficiency in this type of nuts, and its high prices, according to “Financial Times”.

The Dubai chocolate panels, a mixture of pistachio, grated pastries and milk chocolate, achieved a preliminary success after its launch in 2021 by the emerging Emirati company “Fix” until he achieved a video on “Tik Talk” international fame for this chocolate. The clip, published in December 2023, won more than 120 million views, and raised a world passion for pistachio chocolate, in turn led to the emergence of many counterfeit products.

“Because of this passion, pistachio pills prices have increased from $ 7.65 per pound to about 10.30 dollars per pound currently,” said the merchant at the nuts company, CG Haking, noting that “the pistachio market is almost currently not currently.”

This chocolate is not cheap, as the Swiss “Lindand” chocolate is sold in Dubai at a price of 10 pounds (about 49 dirhams) for a weight of 145 grams, i.e. more than twice the price of its other panels, but consumers are so excited that some stores are determined, according to reports, the number of chocolate panels that each customer can buy, while “Lindand” was launched And the British supermarket “WWMOoison” eggs eggs with pistachios.

In turn, pistachio stocks have already diminished after a disappointing harvest last year in the United States, which is the main export of pistachios.

Haking said the American crop was the highest quality of the usual, which reduced the amount of cheap pistachios -free pistachios, which are usually sold as chocolate ingredients and other foods.

He added, “The supply was not enough, so when the Dubai chocolate makers come and buy all the quantities that reach them, this leaves the rest of the world suffering a shortage.”

According to the Iranian Customs Office, Iran exported, the second largest producer of pistachios in the world, and pistachios to the UAE by 40% more in the six months until March 2025 compared to its exports during the previous 12 months. According to a member of the Board of Directors of the Iranian Pistachio Association, for Heroz Agha, the shortage of pistachios represents a sharp retreat from the situation in 2023, when the global supply of pistachios exceeded the demand, which led to low prices.

“As a result of this surplus, a variety of secondary products have become available, such as pistachio butter, pistachio oil and its paste, which can be used in a wide range of foods made of pistachio.”

He continued: “It was almost at the same time that (Dubai Chocolate) was launched, and it has gradually spread widely around the world.”

In California, some farmers have begun to shift from almond cultivation to pistachios in recent years, mainly due to the decrease in the prices of almonds, but these trees will not start production until the next harvest season next September. Meanwhile, chocolate manufacturers say they cannot produce enough chocolate panels stuffed with a cream.

According to the newspaper’s report, chocolate lovers were already suffering from a cocoa supply crisis, which led to a rise in prices almost three times in 2024 due to the weather, and diseases that damaged agricultural crops. Producers began selling smaller boards with new recipes that reduce the use of cocoa.

In turn, “Fix” said that “although it has inspired (the movement in the world of chocolate), it is concerned that others may take advantage of its brand to mislead the customers”, as the company does not sell its panels outside the UAE, and offers it for sale for only two hours per day.

For his part, the CEO of the Swiss company “Ladira” for the chocolate industry, Johannes Ladrach, said: “We launched Dubai chocolate a few months ago … The demand continues on it and witnesses a huge demand.”