The confectionery manufacturers, retailers and distributors have their targets firmly set on the Middle East and North Africa region as sales are expected to rise 16 per cent by 2014, according to Euromonitor International.

Last year, retail value sales of confectionery in the Mena region surged 10 per cent to touch $ 6.6 billion comparee to last year, the report added.

Regional economic and demographic growth, combined with high per capita retail spending and an increased appetite for high quality international foods make the Middle East an ideal investment target for domestic and international manufacturers and retailers, said an expert.

“Confectionery is still an extremely fast-growing sector in the Middle East,” said Trixee Loh, senior vice president of Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of Sweets & Snacks Middle East exhibition to be held from October 31 to November 2 in Dubai.

“The region is well known for its sweet tooth as sharing sweets and confectionary is very much part of local custom. International investors see this industry as a very stable option and as we have seen from previous Sweets & Snacks Middle East editions, there is a great deal of business being closed both during and after the event,” Loh added.

With a retail sector turnover exceeding $100 billion, the GCC is one of the fastest growing retail markets worldwide, said the opifficial citing data by Business Monitor International (BMI).

Over the last six years, the UAE confectionery market has grown by 94.7 per cent, compared with just 19.6 per cent in the US, 40.3 per cent in China and 18.6 per cent in the UK, said a senior Euromonitor official.

“The UAE was outpacing many of its global counterparts because it was less saturated than mature markets,” said Gayatri Bhasin, Euromonitor’s research analyst for the Middle East and Africa.

Sweets & Snacks ME caters to businesses which deal with high end or niche products. Confectionery sales have been steady, according to Vivek Sharma, deputy general manager for sales and marketing of Saudi-based Bateel whose products include gourmet dates, biscuits, pastries, chocolates and a wide range of sweet and savoury items.

“We realised that the Middle East is still very much an open market and have expanded from a single property in Riyadh to 36 shops and 7 cafés in 16 countries," he remarked.

"Sweets & Snacks Middle East is a real driver for new businesses, whether they are already established, or breaking into the market. For us, it is a case of establishing new contacts and renewing old relationships," he added.

Offering even greater networking and selling opportunities, Sweets & Snacks expo will run adjacent to the inaugural Speciality Food Festival, the first trade exhibition in the Middle East to focus on premium, exclusive and elusive products - the 5 star market positioning so closely associated with Dubai.

The Speciality Food Festival will showcase elite suppliers from the gourmet and luxury food market including the Halal, Organic and Seafood sectors.

Combined with Sweet & SnackTec Middle East and The International Travel Catering Association Exhibition, these dedicated food industry events provide the ideal trading and knowledge exchange platform for visitors and exhibitors alike, Loh added.-TradeArabia News Service