A leading trade show to be held in Dubai to highlight food logistics, processing, packaging and ingredients sectors has officially sold out.

 

The inaugural Gulfood Manufacturing 2014 will run from November 9 to 11 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

 

The sector-specific spin-off of Gulfood, a leading annual food and hospitality platform, will debut in the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia (Measa) amid steady domestic and regional growth in the food manufacturing and processing industry.

 

With a host of global food manufacturers, suppliers and service providers requesting exhibition space, organiser DWTC is adding new halls to cater for intense international demand, said a statement.

 

More than 1,000 international suppliers have already committed to the specialist show, which is expected to gather more than 10,000 regional and global trade visitors, and 1,500 delegates who will share the latest industry insights, market trends and state-of-the-art technology and product innovations in a range of niche shows, conferences and technical workshops.

 

Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president, Events and Exhibitions Department, DWTC, said: “The Middle East is rightly viewed as a key growth territory for the global food processing, packaging and manufacturing sectors. 

 

“Gulfood Manufacturing will give international equipment, logistics and cold chain suppliers a tailored investment platform to gain an operational foothold in one of the world’s fastest growing markets.”

 

“Internationally, the sector is seeing multi-billion dollar investments and Gulfood Manufacturing will help facilitate and accelerate regional development. The fact the show is sold out five months ahead of its launch speaks volumes about how international suppliers, producers and manufacturers in various segmented industry sectors view the burgeoning regional market. We have listened to our customers and have committed to extending the debut show’s capacity,” said LohMirmand.

 

The new show will feature a line-up of international brands, with industry heavyweights set to take part in themed sectors or within the more than 24 national pavilions.

 

The UAE’s logistics market will reach Dh24.5 billion ($9.4 billion) by the end of this year, according to Frost and Sullivan. The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has forecast nationwide growth and demand moving to an estimated 2.75 million tonnes per year.

 

With the logistics industry a fundamental contributor to the country’s economic development, Food Logistics Middle East, one of three focused Gulfood Manufacturing sectors, will highlight key trends affecting the global sector, such as materials handling, transport and commercial vehicles, IT and technology, warehousing and operators, facilitators and service providers. 

 

ProPack Middle East and Ingredients Middle East, two addition platforms at the show, will seek to strengthen the UAE’s position as the region’s driving force in both lucrative sectors.

 

The events, which are designed to leverage local investment in procuring food processing and packaging machinery which surpassed Dh1 billion in 2012, will cover essential ingredients and raw materials such as meat, fish processing, dairy, beverage, bakery, sweets and snacks, as well as the entire value chain of packaging distributors and suppliers.

 

The event will also host a Food Safety Conference, which will highlight issues related to regional food safety. - TradeArabia News Service