Say Hala to HalaPop, the UAE-Made Soda That Wants Your Gut to Be Happy

There are times when water feels too boring, but regular soda feels like a decision you'll regret. This is where HalaPop comes in. Founded in Dubai by Karim Jalloul and Walid Antabli, the homegrown brand is introducing what it calls the Middle East’s first prebiotic soda: a fizzy drink that tastes familiar, comes in genuinely fun flavours and offers a little more than a sugar rush.

The line-up includes Pomegranate Hibiscus, Strawberry Vanilla, Tangerine, Ginger Lemon and Cherry Cola. Each can is made with 15% real fruit juice, contains 6g of prebiotic fibre and comes in at 29 calories, with no added sugar, preservatives, artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners.

In other words, it is still soda but one that has better intentions.

“We were tired of putting down a soda and feeling like we’d done something wrong,” says Jalloul. “So we asked a pretty simple question: why can’t a soda just be good for you?”

Fair question. HalaPop lands at a time when people across the region are looking at wellness a little differently. It is no longer only about supplements, green juices or an overly ambitious routine that lasts three days. The products we reach for every day are expected to do more too, even when all we really want is something cold and fizzy with lunch.

That is where the prebiotic element comes in. The fibre is included to support gut health, but the brand is clearly not trying to turn soda into homework; the cans are bright, the flavours are playful and nothing and it doesn't feel like yet another health trend.

Strawberry Vanilla and Cherry Cola are the nostalgic options, Pomegranate Hibiscus feels very at home in the region, while Tangerine and Ginger Lemon are probably the ones we would reach for on a hot afternoon.

And the price also helps - at under AED 10 per can, HalaPop sits closer to an everyday drink than one of those wellness products you buy once, photograph, and then forget at the back of the fridge.

The response so far suggests people were ready for it. According to the brand, HalaPop sold through its opening stock and exceeded its launch forecast within weeks. It also reached the top of Amazon UAE’s soda category, while Noon described it as one of its strongest CPG launches to date. The company has since raised more than $1 million, signed Emirates Snack Foods as its official UAE distributor and brought a strategic anchor investor on board.

“We didn’t set out to launch a product,” says Antabli. “We set out to start a category and to prove it could be built from this region instead of imported into it.”

That might be the more interesting part of the story.

The better-for-you soda space is already crowded internationally, but HalaPop is not presenting itself as a local imitation of an American trend. It is being built in the UAE, for the region, with plans to expand into Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC over the next six months.

The brand is also making sure it appears outside the usual supermarket setting. A limited can takeover with Benefit Cosmetics brings HalaPop into the beauty world, while a collaboration with Pret A Manger puts it in front of the daily lunch crowd. More partnerships across beauty and food are expected to follow.

It makes sense. HalaPop has the kind of branding that wants to be seen, and the concept is easy to understand without reading crazy explanations at the back of the can.

For now, it is available through Amazon UAE, Noon and Noon Minutes, Careem, Talabat, Calo, Joga and Fit Republik, as well as selected retail and wellness spaces. A broader rollout across Spinneys, Carrefour and other quick-commerce platforms is also underway.

Will it replace the soda you grew up with? That depends on how loyal you are. But five flavours, proper fizz and a gut-friendly reason to open another can is a very convincing start.

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