The economic environment in the UAE and China provide a lot of promising opportunities for investments in the food sector and more, said a top official.

Chinese are products doing well in the UAE and the UAE is finding opportunities to compete in the Chinese markets, added Rashid Mohamed Al Shariqi, director general, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA).

He was speaking in an open dialogue with a group of Chinese and Emirati officials at the Emirati & Chinese Investment Forum organized by the Ministry of Foreign Trade in collaboration with the Chinese government, on the sidelines of the China (Ningxia) International Investment and Trade Fair 2012, the third China Arab States Economic and Trade Forum and the GCC & China Business Forum taking place in China currently from September 12 to 16.

ADFCA had adopted the best international practices and strategies in regard to food safety, accomplishing, as a result, a total transformation, Al Shariqi added.

International food organizations have testified to this, the latest evidence for this being the British Accreditation Authority's recognition of ADFCA's food safety and animal wealth labs and the various accolades it won in its legislative and applied spheres, he stressed.

Al Shariqi highlighted the development of the food sector in Abu Dhabi since the establishment of the Authority, especially guaranteeing the safety of food products for the consumers and providing support for the farmers.

He emphasised ADFCA’s willingness to have a dialogue with Chinese food establishments during the forum in order to familiarize them with the UAE's legal and legislative structure and provide them with all the necessary information that will assist Chinese investors to do business in the UAE markets.

Mohammed Jalal Al Reyaysa, ADFCA’s director of Communication and Community Service, gave a presentation about Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and its role in ensuring food safety and supporting the welfare of the UAE society, stressing that the consumer is a red line that cannot be ignored.

"Our aim is to open trade channels between companies in the UAE and their counterparts in Ningxia, a city with a Muslim majority that value date products and appreciate the nutritional and cultural factors that make them a special commodity," he explained.

Al Reyaysa called up on food businesses participating at the forum to visit SIAL Middle East and the Emirates International Date Palm Festival, to be held in Abu Dhabi in November this year and take advantage of the opportunities in the food sector. The exhibition is a perfect occasion for companies to showcase their products in the UAE, he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service