Over 400 companies from 22 countries will participate at the annual Saudi Food, Hotel, Hospitality & Propac Arabia show set to be held in Jeddah from May 19 to 22, under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture.

Organised by Jeddah-based Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions (ACE), Saudi Arabia's 18th international event will showcase a wide range of food and beverage, hotel equipment and supplies, kitchen and catering equipment as well as food processing technologies and packaging products.

National pavilions from China, Egypt, Indonesia, Taiwan, Turkey, USA; individual companies from Turkey, Algeria, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, USA  and Saudi companies representing international brands will also be present.

In addition, the four-day international exhibition incorporates Top Chef & Art de Table contests, jointly organised by ACE and Saudi Arabian Chef Association, which will feature culinary skills of chefs from the finest hotels and restaurants and adjudicated by a panel of international experts.

Zahoor Siddique, vice president for exhibitions, ACE, said: “This is the leading event in the Kingdom's food, hotel, and hospitality industries, with a successful track record of more than seventeen years."

Saudi Arabia continues to be the single-largest market for food and beverages in the Gulf, accounting for 63 per cent of all of the region's imports. The value of the Saudi Halal food market alone is estimated at $6 billion annually.

With a 23 million population, estimated to grow to 50 million over the next decade, there are innumerable opportunities for a host of businesses in the food, catering, hotel and hospitality industry.

In addition, nearly 7 million foreign residents and more than 5 million visiting pilgrims annually seek diversified, quality products. Customers have become more selective in terms of nutritional value, quality, and price.

“This show is organised in light of the exciting developments in Saudi Arabia's hotel industry and consistent with our continued efforts to make our events truly relevant to the needs of our clients."

He pointed out that the Saudi food, hotel and hospitality Arabia Food & Hotel comes at a time when the Kingdom's food and hospitality industries are experiencing rapid growth as more prestigious properties and new hotels are built for the rising number of tourists who are visiting Oman every year.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom's tourism market exceeds $15 billion annually and is expected to reach $60 billion by 2019. The direct contribution of travel and tourism to Saudi Arabia's GDP is expected to reach $14.9 billion.

Saudi Arabia's hotel and hospitality industry is set to grow within bound travel that continues to increase, thanks to pilgrims and business visitors. As such the Kingdom is already witnessing a boom in the hotel and hospitality sector. Plans are being executed for increasing hotel rooms, furnished apartments, leisure resorts, restaurants and food outlets. – TradeArabia News Service