More than 130 companies from across 26 countries will participate in the 13th Middle East Natural and Organic Products Expo (Menope), the region’s niche organic and natural products exhibition, which will be held next month, in Dubai, UAE.

The event will take place from November 2 to 4, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).

Menope 2015 will showcase a variety of products spanning across herbs and spices, food and beverages, cereal products, supplements, health care products, natural living, natural cosmetics, healing products, natural remedies, traditional medicines, spas, relaxation facilities, pet products and fabrics.

The exhibition is patronised by the Ministry of Environment and Water and is supported by International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).

In addition, participants include many government authorities like Emirates Standardisation & Metrology (ESMA), Dubai Municipality, Ministry of Agriculture of Malaysia, Ministry of AYUSH -Govt. of India in addition to many international participants.

Engineer Fatima Al Kalbani, acting director, plant health and development department, said: “There is a growing affinity towards organic products across the UAE and the Gulf and we as a government entity will continue to encourage and take proactive steps to further this industry.

“The interest in the organic food sector is most evident with the number of organic farms in the UAE on the rise with the increasing demand for toxin and chemical free organic food,” she said.

Confirming the growth potential for organic and natural products in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, organisers of the expo said that all indicators point to a robust growth potential for organic products, particularly in sectors like food and beverages and baby food with a rising number of the regional population opting for a green and healthy lifestyle, said a statement.

According to Euromonitor International, a leader in strategy research for consumer markets, though the Mena market for organic products is still in a nascent stage of growth, the sector was worth $110.1 million in 2014 compared to $72.4 million in 2009, it added.

Eng Nadim Al Fuqaha, managing director of Global Links, organisers of the expo, said: “The growth of both organic and natural products is fueled by the youth who are in majority in the region.”

“Year-on year, the organic and natural products market has grown in the range of 12 to 15 per cent and in this context, Menope occupies an important position in providing opportunity to local, regional and global players to enter the market,” he said.

“The market for organic and natural products picked up speed in the second half of the last decade with growth rates on an exponential trail – led by increased awareness on the benefits of these products for health,” he added.

“The growth trends also got a boost with the focus on lifestyle diseases in the Gulf countries which is a matter of grave concern to governments and health authorities in the region,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service