What's the Story with Dubai Chocolate? And What It Teaches Us About Marketing, Soft Power, and the Psychology of Hype

Some trends build slowly. Others gather pace quietly, then seem to be everywhere all at once.

That’s what happened with Dubai chocolate.

A few months ago, I hadn’t heard of it. Now I see it constantly—and not just in Dublin. It’s in Berlin airports, Istanbul grocery stores, London boutiques, and shared flat kitchens across Europe. It's in WhatsApp chats and influencer hauls. It’s showing up in carry-on bags, duty-free baskets, discount chains like Lidl, and upscale food halls alike. Friends are gifting it like it’s a new cultural token. A client brought it to a meeting. Someone else passed me one in a yoga studio. It’s moved fast and far, and it’s in places that don’t usually stock trends this quickly.

It started like many viral food trends do—through a viral TikTok moment. In this case, a video by influencer Maria Vehera turned a locally distributed chocolate bar into an object of global interest. From there, demand surged, influencers amplified it, and it started appearing everywhere—from social feeds to supermarkets. It wasn't just scarcity or uniqueness that drove it, but how well it was staged and shared.

According to Gulf News, chocolate exports from the UAE grew by over 40% in 2025, and more UAE-based brands are appearing in global markets—brands like Patchi, Forrey & Galland, and Maison Pierre Marcolini Dubai.  

This shift isn’t trying to mimic Belgian or Swiss chocolate traditions. It’s something else—a bold attempt to make chocolate part of the UAE’s cultural output, presented in a way that’s visually compelling and globally resonant.

Dubai doesn’t do subtle. It decides. And when it does, it doesn’t ease into the market—it builds the shelf.

The Back Story: From Regional Commodity to Global Signal

The BBC recently covered the Dubai chocolate trend, tracing its origins back to 2021 when Sarah Hamouda, founder of FIX Dessert Chocolatier, first launched the pistachio-and-knafeh-filled bar in Dubai. The product went viral in 2023 after a TikTok video by influencer Maria Vehera, whose post sparked a wave of demand from around the world.

It started as a niche item, available only via Deliveroo in Dubai. But then things escalated—fast.

From social media hype to mass retailer shelves, Dubai chocolate made the leap from local dessert to global phenomenon almost overnight. Not because of scarcity or quality alone, but because of the deliberate way it was framed, shared, and distributed.

Here's how it spread:

• Distinctive Flavors: Combining pistachio cream, tahini, and crunchy knafeh, the chocolate stood out for being regionally rooted but globally interesting.

  
  

• Viral Moment: The TikTok video gave it oxygen, pushing it into mainstream conversation across markets.

  
  

• Influencer Momentum: Once a few recognizable voices picked it up, it began appearing across Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp groups.

  
  

• Retail Push: Lidl and other large-format grocers began stocking versions of the bar. Soon, it was everywhere—from Berlin to Istanbul to suburban Dublin. Global distribution created global perception.

  
  

• Confusion and Curiosity: As the product took off, FIX clarified that they don’t sell through retailers—only via Deliveroo in Dubai. But the mystery and imitation only added to the buzz.

The product now lives at the intersection of luxury, gifting culture, and Gulf soft power. It’s not a coincidence—it’s a coordinated story, playing out across channels. And it worked.

Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point and The Dubai Chocolate Story 

In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell describes how ideas, trends, and products hit a critical mass and suddenly explode. He highlights three key elements: the Law of the Few (influencers or connectors who drive awareness), the Stickiness Factor (the appeal of the product), and the Power of Context (timing and placement).

Dubai chocolate checks all three:

• The Law of the Few: Maria Vehera and other influencers acted as the connectors.

  
  

• The Stickiness Factor: The bar’s unusual but compelling flavor profile made it memorable.

  
  

• The Power of Context: A global audience primed for luxury and aesthetic gifting made the conditions perfect.

Gladwell once described Hush Puppies’ sudden resurgence in the ‘90s after fashion-forward New Yorkers started wearing them—spreading the trend before the company even knew what was happening. Dubai chocolate followed a similar arc: niche origin, unexpected viral ignition, widespread cultural adoption.

What This Means for Storytelling—and for You

As Rory Sutherland writes in Alchemy,

“The value of something is not in the thing itself, but in the story we tell around it.”

Dubai chocolate didn’t go viral because of a sales funnel or marketing budget. It worked because the narrative was cohesive—and contagious.

If you're building something—whether it's a brand, service, or reputation—consider:

• Are you just offering a product?

• Or are you offering a story people want to repeat, gift, and share?

It doesn’t need to be dramatic. But it does need to be consistent, authentic, and well-placed.

People rarely remember specs. They remember how something made them feel. And a well-told story can travel faster than a well-built product.

Ask Yourself This

• Is your work showing up where people actually look?

• Are you making it easy for people to tell others about you?

• Are you building momentum—or waiting for someone else to discover you?

Dubai chocolate didn’t succeed by chance. It was placed, framed, and repeated.

If you're creating something meaningful, the next step may not be improving it further. It may be telling a better story around it—and making sure the right people can see it.

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📌 Want to sharpen your story and stand out to customers, clients, or investors? Join me and award-winning creative communicator Kalle Ryan on May 22nd for a storytelling workshop built for founders, leaders, and professionals who want their message to land.

Register here.

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