4 Feb 2026
Westfalia Fruit launches Middle East hub and appoints new regional lead to drive expansion
Westfalia Fruit is accelerating its international growth with the launch of a Middle East hub in Dubai and a focused market entry program in 2026. The initiative marks a major step in establishing Westfalia Fruit as a leading partner for premium avocados and avocado-based solutions in the Middle East.
As part of this expansion, Sophia Dayekh has been appointed Head of Customer Development, Middle East, effective 1 February 2026. Based in Dubai, she will lead the build-out, operations and office of the regional platform and act as the primary commercial contact for customers and partners across the region.
With this move, Westfalia Fruit aims to build long-term category partnerships with leading retail, wholesale and foodservice players, bringing an integrated proposition that spans fresh fruit, convenience avocado products, as well as category development support.
“Our ambition is not simply to supply avocados, but to drive growth and innovation within the category in this region,” said Sophia Dayekh, Head of Customer Development, Middle East. “By combining Westfalia Fruit’s global supply platform and customer expertise with strong local execution, we are creating something that can genuinely move the market forward.”
Westfalia Fruit’s Middle East proposition will be anchored in its diversified global sourcing footprint across Africa, Latin America and other key origins, combined with full end-to-end control of the value chain, from growing and sourcing to ripening, packing, processing and marketing. This model ensures year-round continuity of supply, strong quality discipline and the flexibility to support multiple product formats and customer programmes.
Drawing on its category-building experience in Europe and the United Kingdom, Westfalia Fruit will introduce premium avocado programmes tailored to regional shopper preferences, supported by European-level ripening standards, quality management and demand-driven supply planning.
Sophia brings international commercial experience within Westfalia Fruit together with deep regional knowledge, Arabic fluency and a strong understanding of Middle Eastern markets. Her role will focus on building trusted partnerships and translating Westfalia Fruit’s global capabilities into locally relevant commercial solutions.
The 2026 launch roadmap includes the establishment of Dubai as Westfalia Fruit’s regional hub, the rollout of a fully integrated “whole tree” avocado platform covering fresh, frozen, processed, oil and convience products, and the implementation of scalable operating and quality models across the region.
With this expansion, Westfalia Fruit strengthens its position as a global category leader and signals its long-term commitment to the Middle East as a strategic growth market.
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About Westfalia Fruit
The multinational Westfalia Fruit Group is a leading supplier of fresh and processed produce to international markets, offering a diverse range of quality fruit and related products via its vertically integrated supply chain. Founded over 75 years ago on guiding environmental, social, governance & sustainability principles. These practices, premised on the legacy of Dr Hans Merensky are at the heart of all that is done by the Group.
Today, operating in 17 countries spread over 5 continents, the Westfalia Fruit Group prides itself on advancing sustainable agricultural practices and being a responsible corporate citizen within the communities in which it operates.
As a frontrunner in the avocado industry, Westfalia Fruit grows, sources, ripens, packs, processes, and markets accredited avocados across the globe throughout the year. Value-added products include avocado oil, low-preservative guacamole, frozen avocado, and dried fruit.
Westfalia Fruit grows fruit in all major origins in the Americas and Africa and sources from partner orchards, giving the Group the most diverse avocado-growing footprint in the world. Westfalia Fruit's dynamic and integrated supply chain from research to the consumer benefits all stakeholders. The Group’s research division, Westfalia Technological Services, is the world’s largest privately funded subtropical fruit research unit. Its dedicated team of scientists and technicians focus on varietal development, innovation, and environmental matters, and provides a pivotal role in defining the future of the global avocado industry.
A supplier of choice to retail, wholesale, and food-service customers, Westfalia Fruit operates sales offices in the UK, Europe, North America, Latin America, southern Africa, and Asia. Fruit is packed in diverse formats and expertly ripened to deliver optimal eating quality. For more information visit www.westfaliafruit.com.
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Jelle Wigboldus
Westfalia Fruit
Jelle.Wigboldus@westfaliafruit.com
Elena Loseva
EMG