SIAL Middle East, a part of the world’s largest network of professional food events and a leading food industry expo, opened on Monday in the UAE capital.

The event, held annually under the strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, will run till November 23 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

The expo brings together professionals involved in buying and selling food products, services and equipment in addition to the latest innovations in the food industry.

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research officially inaugurated the event.

Saqr Al Ghobash, UAE Minister of Labour; Rashid Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment;  Azuldin Abdullah Hussein, Minister of Agriculture in Iraq; Rashid Al Shariqi, director general of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority; Jamal Al Majid, Al Majid Group; and a number of senior officials attended the opening ceremony.

The VIP delegation toured the exhibition halls, and were joined by ambassadors from UK, Turkey, Iran, Argentina, Pakistan and Italy.

The trade show features 500 food and equipment manufacturers and suppliers, in addition to 14 national pavilions - Turkey, Argentina, Korea, China, Taiwan, Iran, France, Italy, Vietnam, Thailand, US, Pakistan, Tunisia and the UAE.

Of these 70 per cent will be exhibiting for the first time in the region.

In addition, the event is also hosting 500 key buyers under its specifically designed SIAL Purchasers Club, SIAL Innovations Awards, Africa & Middle East semi-finals of the WACS Global Chefs Challenge and Hans Bueschkens Young Chefs Challenge, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) Investment meetings and The Grocery @ SIAL Middle East.-TradeArabia News Service