Dubai Multi Commodity Centre (DMCC), the world’s leading free zone and Dubai Government Authority for commodities trade and enterprise, will host the GPC Convention 2020, the global pulse industry’s premier event in Dubai, UAE in 2020.

The event is scheduled to take place at the Grand Hyatt Dubai in April 2020.

Close to 1,000 academics, government bodies, farming organisations, food and agri experts,  traders and pulses industry experts from over 100 countries are due to attend the event. Across a series of panels and keynote speeches, the group will debate the global production, performance, consumption and trade of pulses, as well as the commercial opportunity presented by Expo 2020 Dubai to the sector as a whole.

“The evidence is clear when it comes to the positive environmental impact of pulse and vegetable legume crops. Environmental groups, scientific researchers and agronomists are all convinced that if we are to have any chance of meeting the increasing global demand for food, the cultivation of pulses is key. There is simply not a better time to have a discussion on agriculture and advancing the pulse trade, and DMCC is delighted to have played a role in bringing this event to Dubai,” said Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman and chief executive officer, DMCC.  

“Facilitating global trade, convening industry experts and making it easier to do business is precisely what DMCC does. We see a real opportunity for Dubai to increase its involvement in pulses, and use its strategic location as a hub for the trade – especially in the build up to Expo 2020 in Dubai. DMCC has a fantastic longstanding relationship with the Global Pulse Confederation, and we look forward to welcoming the international pulse community to Dubai,” he added.

During June’s Pulses 2019, Ahmed Bin Sulayem represented Dubai by participating in the official handover ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"We are delighted to announce that Dubai has been selected as the host city for the GPC 2020 Convention. There is clearly a flourishing marketplace for agricultural goods in Dubai, and our event will place the spotlight on pulse trade in the UAE like never before,” said Cindy Brown, president, Global Pulse Confederation.

“With Expo 2020 Dubai around the corner, Dubai represents a huge opportunity for all those connected to the pulse trade and I would like to thank DMCC for connecting us to this exciting part of the world. We are very excited to welcome all the guests and show them the legendary hospitality and vibrant entrepreneurial air of Dubai,” added Sudhakar Tomar, convenor, GPC 2020 Convention in Dubai.

In late 2018, the UAE enshrined its commitment to food security with the launch of the ‘National Food Security Strategy 2051’. The strategy defines the elements of the ‘National Food Basket’ campaign, which includes 18 main types, based on three main criteria: ‘knowledge of the volume of domestic consumption of the most important products’; ‘production capacity’; and ‘processing and nutritional needs’.

The Global Pulse Confederation (GPC, formerly known as CICILS IPTIC) represents all segments of the pulse industry value chain from growers, researchers, logistics suppliers, traders, exporters and importers to government bodies, multilateral organizations, processors, canners and consumers. Its membership includes 24 national associations and over 600 private sector members. GPC is based in Dubai and licensed by DMCC. – TradeArabia News Service