Middle East Vegan Society

What Middle East Vegan Society does

Middle East Vegan Society is a non-profit advocacy organization founded in 2017 and headquartered operationally in Beirut, Lebanon, dedicated to supporting individuals and businesses across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in making environmentally friendly, healthy, and ethical dietary choices. The organization operates four functional pillars: education (producing and sharing materials on veganism and plant-based diets), individual support (offering personalized local guidance), corporate outreach (advising food service, hotel, hospital, and event-sector businesses on vegan implementation), and diversity (supporting MENA-based activists and producing Arabic translations for global organizations). Its core commercial-adjacent asset is the official distribution rights for V-Label vegan and vegetarian product certifications across Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar — a globally recognized certification mark spanning 30+ countries and 50,000+ products.

The organization's product portfolio includes 13-14 country-specific Vegan Guides (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Iran) covering local restaurants, shops, traditional dishes, and product availability; a multi-category blog (Recipes, Culture & Lifestyle, Interviews, News & Events, Analysis & Forecast); the Lebanese Vegans Social Hub in Beirut (a vegan cafe with complimentary meals, food distribution, free library, and dietitian consultations inaugurated in November 2020 in partnership with Lebanese Vegans); the Hayek Hospital collaboration (the world's first plant-based hospital, announced March 2021); a dedicated VeganIslam.org platform for Islamic-context vegan content; and free corporate outreach services. No proprietary technology platform, software product, or AI/ML systems are evident — the underlying "platform" is a Squarespace-hosted content site with multi-channel social distribution.

The business model is non-commercial: all services, including V-Label certification support and corporate outreach, are provided free of charge, and the organization is funded through donations and volunteer effort. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no headcount figures, no pricing model, and no revenue disclosures. The only named leadership is Georges Hayek as President. Distribution is entirely digital (website, email newsletter, Instagram accounts including Dubai Vegan Guide, Abu Dhabi Vegans, and Kuwait Vegan Guide, WhatsApp groups) supplemented by the physical Beirut community hub.

Name

Middle East Vegan Society

Legal name

Middle East Vegan Society

Website

https://middleeastvegansociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Middle East Vegan Society is a Lebanon-based non-profit founded in 2017 that supports individuals and businesses across the MENA region with Arabic-language vegan education, 14 country-specific vegan guides, corporate outreach services, and official V-Label certification distribution across six markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vegan Advocacy and Certification Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Vegan/Vegetarian & Animal-Derived Ingredient Verification (incl. cross-contact) (AFALAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Plant-Based & Vegetarian/Vegan Nutrition (HSADAFAJ)

Keywords

• Vegan certification services
• Vegan advocacy organization
• Plant-based lifestyle education
• Regional vegan guides
• Non-profit food advocacy

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Middle East Vegan Society is a non-profit advocacy organization that supports individuals and businesses in the Middle East and North Africa to adopt plant-based lifestyles. Its primary commercial-style service is the regional distribution of the globally recognized V-Label certification for vegan and vegetarian products across six MENA countries, complemented by free corporate outreach support to food service businesses, hospitals, hotels, and events, and a portfolio of 14 country-specific vegan guides published on its website.

Product overview

Middle East Vegan Society is a non-profit advocacy organization offering a portfolio of services centered around vegan certification, regional education, and corporate engagement. The core offering is the V-Label certification service (distributed in Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar) for verifying vegan and vegetarian products. Complementing this are 13 country-specific Vegan Guides (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Iran) providing local restaurant, shop, and product information. Additional services include the Lebanese Vegans Social Hub (a vegan support center with cafe and resources in Beirut), the Hayek Hospital collaboration (world's first plant-based hospital), corporate outreach programs, and an educational blog covering recipes, interviews, analysis, and cultural content. The organization does not offer a unified software platform but provides these distinct services as interconnected components of its vegan promotion ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• V-Label: The Middle East Vegan Society provides the V-Label trademark, a widely recognized certification for businesses seeking to have their products verified as vegan. They are official distributors of V-Label certifications in Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar.

Products and services

• V-Label Certification Distribution Official vegan and vegetarian product certification service distributed by Middle East Vegan Society in Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar. Verifies products as vegan or vegetarian on behalf of the global V-Label trademark program, which spans more than 30 countries and covers over 50,000 products. Designed for food manufacturers, distributors, and brands targeting MENA consumers.
• Corporate Outreach Services Free advisory and support service provided to businesses in the food and beverage, hotel, hospital, and events sectors to help them implement strategies for adding vegan options to menus and operations. Aimed at MENA businesses responding to growing consumer demand for plant-based choices.
• Lebanese Vegans Social Hub World's first animal rights and vegan support center, located in Beirut, Lebanon. Operated in collaboration with Lebanese Vegans and offers a vegan cafe serving complimentary daily meals, ongoing food distribution programs, a free library on veganism and plant-based diets, and a dedicated area for free dietitian consultations. Designed for individuals in Lebanon pursuing plant-based lifestyles.
• UAE Vegan Guide Comprehensive guide to vegan options, restaurants, shops, and products available in the United Arab Emirates, published on the Middle East Vegan Society website. Aimed at residents and visitors in the UAE seeking plant-based dining and shopping options.
• Saudi Arabia Vegan Guide Country guide published on the website covering vegan options, restaurants, shops, and traditional Saudi dishes aligned with plant-based living in Saudi Arabia.
• Egypt Vegan Guide Country guide covering vegan options, traditional Egyptian cuisine adaptations, and the growing vegan community in Egypt.
• Kuwait Vegan Guide Country guide covering vegan options, restaurants, shops, and traditional Kuwaiti dishes adapted to plant-based living.
• Lebanon Vegan Guide Guide to Lebanon's vegan scene, featuring the Lebanese Vegans Social Hub in Beirut and Hayek Hospital, the world's first plant-based hospital, as well as local restaurants and shops.
• Jordan Vegan Guide Country guide to vegan options in Jordan, highlighting traditional dishes that are inherently vegan or easily adapted to plant-based eating.
• Bahrain Vegan Guide Country guide to vegan options in Bahrain, showcasing naturally plant-based dishes from local culinary heritage along with restaurants and shops.
• Qatar Vegan Guide Country guide covering vegan options in Qatar, including traditional Qatari dishes that can be adapted to plant-based lifestyles.
• Oman Vegan Guide Country guide covering vegan options in Oman, including traditional Omani dishes adapted to plant-based living.
• Syria Vegan Guide Country guide covering vegan options and traditional Syrian cuisine compatible with vegan lifestyle.
• Morocco Vegan Guide Country guide covering vegan options in Morocco, including traditional dishes such as Tagine and Couscous and the growing vegan restaurant scene.
• Palestine Vegan Guide Country guide covering vegan options in Palestine, including traditional plant-based dishes and the emerging vegan movement.
• Iran Vegan Guide Country guide covering vegan options in Iran, drawing on the rich tradition of plant-based dishes in Persian cuisine.
• Tunisia Vegan Guide Country guide covering vegan options, restaurants, and traditional Tunisian dishes compatible with plant-based living in Tunisia.
• Educational Blog Content Content library on the Middle East Vegan Society website organized into categories for Recipes, Culture and Lifestyle, Interviews, News and Events, and Analysis and Forecast. Provides Arabic-language articles on vegan cooking, cultural heritage, activist profiles, and market analysis for individuals across MENA.
• VeganIslam.org Arabic Content Platform Dedicated sub-platform operated under the Middle East Vegan Society umbrella that explores veganism within Islamic context and traditions, providing Arabic-language content for Muslim audiences considering plant-based living.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hayek HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021Collaborative role in assisting Hayek Hospital in Lebanon become the world's first hospital exclusively serving plant-based meals and products in March 2021.
• Lebanese VeganscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2020Collaboration to inaugurate a Vegan Support and Animal Rights center in Beirut, Lebanon in November 2020. The center includes a vegan cafe with daily meals, food distribution programs, free library, and dietitian consultations.
• V-LabelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial distribution partner for V-Label certifications in Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar. V-Label is a globally recognized vegan and vegetarian certification symbol spanning 30+ countries and supporting 50,000+ products.
• Anonymous for the VoicelessminorOthersKey organization contributing to the plant-based movement in Lebanon alongside Lebanese Vegans.
• Vegan in PalestineminorOthersKey organization driving the vegan movement and animal rights advocacy in Palestine.
• Vegans for HumanityminorOthersKey organization contributing to animal rights, health benefits, and environmental sustainability advocacy in Palestine.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals): PETA is a globally scaled animal rights advocacy organization with veganism promotion, corporate campaigns, and restaurant/hospitality engagement — comparable mission surface as MEVS but at vastly larger scale and with broader animal-rights scope.
• Humane Society International: HSI is a large animal welfare organization with global plant-based food policy and corporate engagement work — comparable as an advocacy-and-corporate-engagement peer, though operating at materially larger scale.

Emerging players

• Mercy For Animals: Mercy For Animals runs plant-based promotion campaigns, corporate food-service engagement, and regional advocacy programs, making it a comparable cause-driven nonprofit in the same plant-based advocacy space.
• Animal Equality: Animal Equality is an international animal advocacy nonprofit running vegan outreach, corporate campaigning, and corporate food-service engagement — comparable to MEVS's mix of corporate outreach and consumer-side activism.
• BeVeg International: BeVeg is a competing vegan certification program operating globally, directly comparable to V-Label as an alternative third-party verification mark that businesses can choose over MEVS's V-Label offering.

Direct peers

• Veganuary: Veganuary runs annual plant-based pledge campaigns with corporate catering partnerships, supporting individuals and businesses transitioning to vegan — closely mirroring MEVS's dual consumer-education and corporate-outreach model.
• The Vegan Society: The Vegan Society is the original UK-based vegan advocacy organization founded in 1944, pursuing nearly the same mission as MEVS — promoting veganism globally — and offering the international Vegan Trademark certification, the direct antecedent to V-Label.
• ProVeg International: ProVeg is a global food awareness organization working to reduce animal product consumption by 50% by 2040, with active corporate, government, and institutional engagement programs — directly comparable to MEVS's corporate outreach and educational content model.
• Vegetarian Society (UK): The Vegetarian Society is a UK-based non-profit promoting vegetarian and vegan lifestyles with educational resources, certification programs (Vegetarian Society Approved), and corporate outreach — a direct conceptual peer to MEVS in scope and structure.

Regional players

• Israeli Vegan Society: Israeli vegan advocacy organizations operate in the immediate geographic neighborhood of MEVS, share Hebrew/Arabic cultural touchpoints, and similarly promote veganism across restaurants, retail, and institutional channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/dubai_vegan_guide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/middle-east-vegan-society

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Middle East Vegan Society