Digital Innovation and Food Waste Reduction in Dubai’s Restaurant Industry: A Qualitative Case Study

Abstract

The hospitality industry in Dubai forms the basis of the city as a food epicentre; yet, it is also a significant source of food waste. Having a cuisine infrastructure with more than 13,000 restaurants and cafes and one of the highest densities of food-waste in the world, the need to reduce food-waste in the Dubai restaurant sector has taken on a new crucial sustainability dimension. The paper examines food waste antecedents and scale and impacts of food waste in the hospitality industry of Dubai and assesses whether digital waste-management applications can help reduce the food wastage. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the available literature, policy frameworks, and technologically-based interventions, the study outlines how artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and mobile apps can be applied to improve inventory management, demand prediction, food safety compliance, and redistribution of surplus. In addition, the qualitative data obtained through the interview of the top industry players were coded using an axial coding method to discover common themes related to the idea of operational inefficiencies, adoption of technology, and sustainability incentives. The results show that waste-management applications, when combined with the existing food-safety systems like Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and complemented by the managerial training, can significantly decrease the food waste and increase the cost-efficiency and social responsibility. Based on this, the paper finds that the technological facilitated waste minimization is an essential component in ensuring the hospitality sector in Dubai is in tandem with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 and moves toward a more circular and sustainable food system.