While on holiday for di United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week, e get only one mission on my mind - get my hands on di viral "Dubai chocolate" bar.

If you dey on TikTok, you go don see di bar, wey combine di flavours of chocolate, pistachio and tahini wit filo pastry, and dey inspired by di Arab dessert Knafeh.

Di original, wey dey call am Can't Get Knafeh of It, by FIX Chocolatier, don dey sold exclusively for di UAE since 2022. E don become so popular on social media so tey e dey only on sale for two hours per day and sometimes e dey sell out within minutes.

But now imitations, wey im nickname be "Dubai chocolate", don hit UK supermarkets including Waitrose, Lidl and Morrisons, and some supermarkets dey limit di number of bars wey customers dey allowed to buy.

Yezen Alani, wey co-own FIX wit im wife Sarah Hamouda, bin tell di BBC say di global attention wey Dubai chocolate dey get dey "flattering and humbling".

Di FIX chocolate bar bin first dey imagined by Hamouda for 2021, afta she bin crave di flavours while she dey pregnant.

Alani and Hamouda bin start to develop di bar one year later - dem dey run di business alongside dia corporate jobs.

"Dem bring Sarah and I up in di UK and we bin move to Dubai 10 years ago, so we get Western and Arab roots.

"We bin wan create flavours wey dey inspired by dat," Alani tok.

Part of di appeal of di chocolate na im exclusivity - you fit only order am wit food delivery app, rather dan to waka into one shop or grab am for supermarket.

E dey cost around £15 per bar and you fit only buy am during specific hours of di day to make sure say di company fit fulfil all dia orders.

I bin also see similar bars wey dem dey sell for many shops for di region, wey dem dey call "Dubai chocolate" and dem use pictures of pistachios and filo pastry adorn am.

Alani tok say di "copycat" bars dey "veri frustrating sake of say pipo dey try knockoffs, wey dey damage our brand".

One of di reasons for di bar surge in popularity na social media - wit a viral video by TikTok user Maria Vehera from 2023 wey dey cited as one of di main reasons for di rise to prominence.

E show say Vehera dey try di Knafeh bar for di first time - along wit several odas wey di same chocolatier dey make - and e don get nearly seven million likes.

Di way di bar dey look dey made for social media - from di attractive orange and green spots on top of di smooth milk chocolate to di crunch sound e dey make wen you break off one piece.

Chocolate combined wit pistachio no be new but di real standout element na di crunchy nature of di filling, wit di filo pastry wey dey add texture and thickness to di bar.

Since di Can't Get Knafeh of It bar only dey available for one kontri, oda brands don start to sell dia versions in di UK, including Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt wey im Dubai chocolate dey sold for £10 in supermarkets.

Since dem stock di bar, Waitrose tok say dem gatz introduce a two-bar limit for customers so dem go fit regulate stock levels.

Anoda version don also dey sold by Home Bargains, while supermarket Lidl get im own version for £4.99 and also dey limit purchase numbers.

One influencer bin document how dem dey keep di bar behind tills for dis reason.

As im don try di Lindt bar and a couple of oda versions wey dem dey sell for corner shops, na quite a contrast.

Di FIX chocolate dey billed as a "dessert bar" and need to dey kept for fridge, wit short expiry date like many dairy items.

Dis no be di case for di odas, wey don dey designed to get longer shelf life.

You fit also see di difference in taste and texture – di original bar na almost double di width of di Lindt bar, wey dey more aligned to di size and shape of one standard chocolate bar.

Wen Alani and Hamouda bin first start out, dey bin employ one pesin to fulfil around six to seven orders per day


But since dem don grow in popularity, primarily tanks to TikTok, dia business now employ 50 pipo, wey fulfil 500 orders per day.

One big talking point since don be di price of di product, wey be £15 per bar.

"Na all handmade, evri single design dey done by hand," Alani tok.

"We use premium ingredients and di process no be like to make oda bars – you get di baking, moulding di chocolate to di design and wit di filling itsef, even di pistachios dey hand-picked and processed".

Wen e tok to Arabian Business last year, Hamouda say: "My mama bin use to make Knafeh, and dat na somtin wey I wan capture my own way.

"Knafeh na di first flavour wey we bin perfect. Di crunch, di pistachio, e need to dey just right," she add.

Despite di product success, Alani say "Na tough journey" as di pair don dey work togeda full time while dem also dey raise dia two children.

"E bin don get times wia we wan give up, but we bin say to oursefs 'we go keep dey go as long as we fit pay di rent' and now we no regrets as e work out".



Husband and wife Yezen Alani and Sarah Hamouda bin create dia chocolate business togeda



Kanefah na popular Middle Eastern dessert, wey dem dey make wit shredded pastry, sweet cheese filling and pistachios