SIAL Middle East 2013, region’s fastest growing food & drink trade exhibition, opened its doors in Abu Dhabi today (November 24) welcoming more than 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries and 21 international pavilions.

The show was inaugurated by Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.

The opening cermony was attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Community Development; Dr Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment, Rashed Mohamed Al Sharqi, the ADFCA director general and a number of senior officials.

Being held in strategic partnership with ADFCA, the trade event is part of SIAL Group, the world’s largest network of B2B food exhibitions which include SIAL Paris, SIAL China, SIAL Canada, SIAL Brazil, and SIAL ASEAN in the Philippines.

Now in its fourth year in the UAE capital, the three-day event has attracted more international exhibitor participation than ever before, said the organisers.

More than 65 per cent of the beverage and equipment manufacturers showcasing their latest food related products and services this year at the expo are new to the Middle East region, they added.

Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, the director of Communication and Community Service at ADFCA and chairman of the SIAL Middle East organising committee, said: "At the heart of SIAL Middle East is innovation and the fact that 65 per cent of products on show this year are new to the Middle East region reflects the constantly evolving global landscape of the food, drink and hospitality industries."

"There is more international exhibitor participation in the show this year than ever before, underlining the huge growth opportunities for local and global suppliers to capitalise on a booming regional food industry. The next three days will be a hive of activity, connecting more than 15,000 trade visitors with leading global suppliers," he noted.

The expo will also host a record 21 international pavilions this year from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, India, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the US.

The showpiece event is an important platform for hundreds of exhibitors making their first foray into the Mena food and beverage sector, including Danish company Trading Flavours, which will launch their selection of seafood, vegetables, olive oil and confectionary targeted specifically for the thriving regional hospitality sector.

Charles Pedersen, the managing partner at Trading Flavours, said: "The food service market in the UAE and wider Mena region offers huge potential for growth within our food product categories, particularly within the hospitality sector, where we are initially looking to enter."

"We have a very focused three year business and we see SIAL Middle East as the ideal platform for us to establish a broader distribution network in the UAE, whilst building partnerships in other dynamic markets throughout the region," he added.

Co-located with ITCA (International Travel Catering Association) Abu Dhabi, and the Emirates International Date Palm Festival, SIAL Middle East 2013 returns with a three-day conference, a hosted buyer programme and La Cuisine by SIAL international chef competition, where 600 international chefs from four continents will compete across 17 different categories to win one of four trophies.

The prestigious SIAL Innovation Observatory and Award also returns, putting a spotlight on 70 of the world’s most innovative food and beverage products, including winners from the global competitions at SIAL events in China, Brazil, Canada, the Philippines, and Paris.

The event is supported by the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water, Abu Dhabi Chamber, Unido, Bakery Initiatives, Headline Sponsor ALDAHRA Agriculture, Diamond Sponsor Jenaan, and Platinium Sponsor Agthia.-TradeArabia News Service