Gulfood, an annual food and hospitality trade platform, has set its own new record by confirming its largest country and pavilion line-up to date for this year's event.

 

It will run from February 21 to 25 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

 

The show will feature 117 pavilions – five more than last year – with first-time group participation from Russia, Costa Rica, Belarus, Mauritius and New Zealand, the Oceania nation returning after a six-year break, said a statement.

 

Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president, Exhibitions and Events Management, DWTC, said: “The sheer scale of the pavilions and their extensive membership lives up to our promise of delivering more taste, more trends and more trade.

 

“The range of new products and services on offer is as diverse as the geographic spread of pavilion participants – the perfect combination to yield fresh business opportunities for professionals operating throughout the entire international food industry and hospitality supply chain.”

 

Italy will operate the event’s largest pavilion with more than 190 companies occupying a 3,956-sq-m national pavilion, while a few Italian producers will go-it-alone with specialised stands. 

 

At Gulfood, Italy will focus on ultra-high-end product offerings from fresh fruits and vegetables, to dairy – mainly cheese – pulses, dried and canned foods, dried and frozen foods, grocery products, olive oils and vinegar, juices, sweets and snacks. The pavilion will also host several specialist manufacturers of hospitality equipment and coffee and gelato machinery.

 

“The UAE is the Italian food industry’s fastest growing market,” said LohMirmand.

 

“Italian food product sales to the emirates have grown steadily rising 31.1 per cent in 2012, a further 39.5 per cent in 2013 and again by nine per cent in 2014 to reach €241.3 million ($263.1 million)," she said.

 

"In Q1 of 2015 exports climbed a further 23.6 per cent. Without doubt, the euro fluctuation against the dollar and dirham has significantly assisted Eurozone exports and Italy in particular has reaped the benefits," she added.

 

Meanwhile, Turkey will also be out in force at Gulfood 2016 with 103 exhibitors marketing beverages and beverage equipment, finished food and beverage products, food service hospitality and restaurant and café equipment.

 

“Over the past few years, Turkey has made significant inroads into the UAE’s food and beverage, hospitality and mass grocery retail sector,” said LohMirmand. 

 

“Turkish produce is now familiar on supermarkets shelves, while a plethora of Turkish cuisine and hospitality outlets - adding to the high-profile entrance of the country’s Rixos hotels group to the region - are open and performing. The Turkish chamber of commerce has made no secret of its members’ ambitions to ensure food exports to the UAE climb to $250 million this year. Although this represents a 20 per cent jump on 2014 levels, a strong Gulfood push is expected to play a role in meeting those aims.”

 

The Netherlands will again have a strong presence at Gulfood with the Holland Pavilion organised by the Netherlands Council for Trade Promotion (NCH) – a Gulfood stalwart having exhibited every year since 1995 – housing 54 companies across the dairy, deep-frozen, fresh vegetables, fresh/deep-frozen meat, conserves, traders, oils, sauces, grocery, fine food and drinks sector. 

 

The council is looking to grow Dutch food exports to the UAE - currently worth $360 million a year.

 

With the global food industry eyeing Africa as the next major investment opportunity, Kenya is boosting its Gulfood presence with a pavilion 48 per cent larger than last year that will focus largely on tea and coffee produce, while Egypt is weighing in with 125 companies covering a multi-commodity profile including freshly frozen fruit and vegetables, confectionery, dairy and dates.

 

Back for its third Gulfood promotion, the small Eastern European state of Moldova is looking to expand its export reach for a wide range of agricultural and processed food products that currently account for 40 per cent of the country’s GDP. - TradeArabia News Service