Dubai Chocolate: FIX Wins Dubai-it Award and How to Buy It

Dubai chocolate maker FIX has won the Dubai-it Award. Here is the story behind the bar and how to buy the original in Dubai, plus price and travel tips.

Few cities can claim a flavour as their own, yet anyone who has stood in a queue abroad for a green-centred bar labelled “Dubai chocolate” knows this one belongs here. Now that story has an official seal. On Saturday 24 October 2026, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, announced that FIX Dessert Chocolatier, the home-grown brand that started the craze, had won the Dubai-it Award for Projects in the Business Category.

This guide first explains what the award recognises and how a home kitchen in Dubai produced a global trend. Then it covers the most useful part: how to get your hands on the original bar while you are in the city.

Table of Contents

Why FIX’s Dubai Chocolate Won the Dubai-it Award

Sheikh Hamdan announced the winner on X shortly before 1.30pm on Saturday. In his post, he said FIX “introduced ‘Dubai Chocolate’ to the world”. He also praised founders Sarah Hamouda and Yezen Alani for turning a home-based business into a global success. According to the Crown Prince, sales of Dubai-style chocolate rose by 1,234 per cent in a single year. Such bars are now sold in markets around the world and at more than 100 airports.

In addition, the Dubai-it Award’s own account added two more figures. FIX has sold more than 6.5 million bars and reached over 2 million customers in just 15 months. Khaleej Times reported the news at 1.35pm, and Gulf News followed at 2.06pm with a fuller profile of the brand.

The award itself is young. In fact, Sheikh Hamdan only launched it in June 2026. It celebrates people, companies and projects that turn bold ideas into measurable results with speed and excellence. For example, earlier winners include a Dubai board maker, featured in our guide to kitesurfing in Dubai, and the Roads and Transport Authority.

From a Home Kitchen to a Global Craze

FIX was founded in 2021. Its signature bar, Can’t Get Knafeh of It, wraps milk chocolate around pistachio cream and crisp, toasted kunafa pastry. The result is crunchy, nutty and rich, and it photographs beautifully when snapped in half. As it turned out, that last detail mattered. Videos of the cracking bar spread across social media. Soon afterwards, chocolatiers and supermarkets worldwide were making their own versions.

Meanwhile, back home, the effect was easy to measure. Khaleej Times reported that Dubai Duty Free sold Dh165 million of Dubai chocolates in the first half of 2025 alone. That came to roughly 2.5 million bars of UAE-made chocolate and 40 per cent of all its confectionery sales. FIX has since reached Singapore’s Changi Airport and Harrods in London, according to Gulf News.

A Dubai-style chocolate bar cut into pieces on its wrapper, showing the thick pistachio cream filling — Dubai-style chocolate has spawned imitations worldwide. Photo: Jan Helebrant, Wikimedia Commons, “Food Dubai chocolate 003”, CC0 (resized).

Dubai Chocolate: What Makes the Original Different

Countless shops now sell their own take on Dubai chocolate, and many of them are good. Even so, the FIX bar remains the reference point, for a few reasons:

Texture first: the kunafa is toasted until it shatters, so every bite should crunch rather than squish.
Generous filling: each bar weighs roughly 180 to 200 grams. As a result, one bar comfortably serves two or three people.
A rotating line-up: alongside the original, FIX sells other flavours and limited editions. These have included a halawt-inspired bar created with Sheikh Hamdan and a tropical flavour called Time to Mango.
Halal certified: FIX says all its bars are halal, which makes them an easy gift for friends and family.

However, one caveat matters for anyone with allergies. FIX says most of its flavours contain nuts and dairy, and every bar is made in the same facility. None of the range is vegan or gluten-free.

How to Buy the Original Dubai Chocolate in Dubai

Here is the part that surprises most visitors: FIX has no permanent shop and no web store of its own. According to its official website, there are only a few genuine ways to buy it.

Order on Careem: open the Careem app, go to Quik and search for “FIX Dessert Chocolatier”. Bars drop daily at 2pm and 5pm in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and delivery usually takes about 20 minutes.
Buy at the airport on your way out: FIX runs a kiosk in Terminal 1 (Concourse D, Zone 1) and a stand in Terminal 3 (Concourse B East, near gates B20 to B22). Both are open around the clock. However, they sit beyond passport control, so they only help on departure day.
Watch for pop-ups: FIX announces official pop-up events on its website and on Instagram and TikTok (@fixdessertchocolatier).

When FIX moved exclusively to Careem in October 2025, bars started at AED 68.25. Prices may have changed since then, so check the app before you order. Also, note that Careem Plus members get free delivery.

Tips for Bagging a Bar

Be ready before the drop: open the app a few minutes before 2pm or 5pm, because popular flavours can sell out quickly.
Ordering to a hotel? Add your room number and let reception know that a parcel is on its way.
Skip the resellers: FIX states that any other seller claiming to be FIX is not authorised. If someone in a market or online offers “original FIX” at a discount, walk away.

A round tray of baked kunafa topped with ground pistachio, the Middle Eastern dessert behind Dubai chocolate — Kunafa topped with ground pistachio, the classic dessert that inspired the bar. Photo: Basak, Wikimedia Commons, “Künefe 20230904”, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized).

Taking Dubai Chocolate Home

A bar of the original is a popular souvenir. Therefore, it pays to pack it properly. FIX gives clear advice:

Keep it cool: in warm weather, carry the bar in a cool bag. Then refrigerate it as soon as you can.
Never freeze it: freezing ruins the texture of the filling.
Use your cabin bag: bars travel well in hand luggage, but FIX advises against checked bags. Chill them before and after your flight.
Mind the dates: an unopened bar lasts up to 12 months. Once opened, however, eat it within three days.

FIX does not yet ship internationally, and it does not offer gift wrapping or personalised messages through Careem. On the other hand, the packaging is smart enough to hand over as it is.

Beyond Dubai Chocolate: Try Real Kunafa

Dubai chocolate is a modern riff on kunafa, one of the Middle East’s best-loved desserts. If the bar wins you over, try the real thing too. Freshly baked kunafa is usually served warm, with soft cheese or cream under a crisp, syrup-soaked crust. You will find it at Arabic sweet shops across the city. Similarly, for a wider food outing, our guides to the Al Rigga night market and Ripe Market Dubai point you to plenty of other local flavours.

Conclusion

The Dubai-it Award for FIX is more than a pat on the back for a chocolate bar. Above all, it celebrates a small Dubai business that turned a clever idea into a worldwide category. It also reminds visitors that some of the city’s most memorable experiences are its simplest. So, if you want the original, set an alarm for 2pm or 5pm, open Careem and order early. Otherwise, stop at the airport kiosk on your way home, and keep your bar cool on the journey.

FAQ

What is Dubai chocolate?

Dubai chocolate is a thick chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and crunchy kunafa pastry. FIX Dessert Chocolatier created the original, Can’t Get Knafeh of It, in Dubai.

Who won the Dubai-it Award for business projects?

FIX Dessert Chocolatier won it. Sheikh Hamdan announced the award on 24 October 2026 and named founders Sarah Hamouda and Yezen Alani.

Where can I buy FIX chocolate in Dubai?

You can order it on the Careem app during the daily 2pm and 5pm drops. Alternatively, buy it at the FIX kiosks in DXB Terminals 1 and 3 when you fly out. FIX also runs occasional official pop-ups.

How much does a FIX bar cost?

Bars started at AED 68.25 when FIX moved to Careem in October 2025. However, check the app for current prices, as they can change.

Is Dubai chocolate halal?

Yes. FIX says all its bars are halal certified. However, most flavours contain nuts and dairy, so take care if you have allergies.

Key Takeaways

FIX Dessert Chocolatier won the Dubai-it Award for Projects in the Business Category on 24 October 2026.
Sheikh Hamdan said sales of Dubai-style chocolate rose 1,234 per cent in a year.
Dubai-style bars are now sold at more than 100 airports worldwide.
FIX has no permanent shop, so buy it on Careem at 2pm or 5pm daily.
Alternatively, pick up a bar at the FIX kiosks in DXB on departure.
Avoid resellers, as FIX says only Careem and its official outlets sell the genuine bar.
Keep bars cool, carry them in hand luggage and never freeze them.

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