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Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, the second charter flight carrying 98 tons of Vietnamese agricultural products to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) highlights Vietnam’s role as a supplier and points to prospects for establishing a regular air freight route to the Middle East.
According to information from the Foreign Market Development Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), on May 10, 2026, the second charter flight carrying 98 tons of Vietnamese agricultural products—operated by MAY Exports Vietnam (headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City)—took off from Tan Son Nhat International Airport and headed for the UAE market.
The flight was implemented under the direction of M. A. Yusuff Ali, Chairman and Chief Executive of LuLu Group International, with direct coordination by Mirash Basheer, the company’s Director.
LuLu Group International is a leading global retail group headquartered in the UAE and the owner of the LuLu Hypermarket chain.
This is the second consecutive time LuLu Group International has organized a dedicated flight to transport Vietnamese agricultural products amid continued geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which are putting pressure on international shipping routes.
The Foreign Market Development Department said current global supply chain disruptions are driving up logistics costs and making sea freight delivery times unstable. In this context, maintaining dedicated charter flights for fresh produce is described as both a stopgap solution and a demonstration of how Vietnamese enterprises can adapt quickly to volatile international trade conditions.
For fresh produce, delivery time is critical to preserving quality. Air transportation shortens the journey and reduces intermediate handling steps that can increase risks related to temperature, humidity, and product loss—factors that sea transport struggles to control under today’s geopolitical complexities.
What stands out is that while many international companies remain cautious about regional instability, LuLu Group International has chosen to continue expanding procurement and increasing Vietnamese imports. This is presented as a sign of confidence by Middle Eastern importers in Vietnam’s production capacity, quality standards, and ability to fulfill orders.
The two charter flights organized in quick succession are expected to create opportunities to form a regular air cargo route between Vietnam and the UAE in the near future.
If established, such a route would help stabilize Vietnam’s agricultural supply across LuLu Hypermarket’s GCC-wide network and could generate positive spillover effects for Vietnam’s agricultural exports to the Middle East more broadly.
Beyond commercial significance, the event reinforces Vietnam’s increasingly important role in the global agricultural supply chain. The ability to sustain a steady flow of goods despite geopolitical complexity is cited as evidence of effective cooperation between domestic exporters and leading international distribution groups—an ability not every agricultural exporter can demonstrate under current conditions.
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