The Gulfood Exhibition is preparing to mark its biggest change in categorisation in its 30 years since its establishment.
The exhibition launched on Sunday and will last for five days. It is expected that the exhibition will see some 90,000 visitors from across the world, in addition to over 5,000 participating exhibitor companies from 150 countries. Each company will be seeking to meet new clients to boost their market share in the Middle East.
The exhibition will also have a special Halal Food event, making it the world’s largest annual exhibition in that field.
For the first time since it was first held, Gulfood will include eight categories to help attendees reach their destinations easier. Those include beverages, dairy, oils, grains, livestock and poultry, major brands, international foods, and healthy food.
The exhibition is held on 1m square metres; the inner exhibition at the Dubai International Convention Centre is divided into 19 halls, in addition to two temporary outside halls.
Senior vice president at Dubai World Trade Centre, Trixie LohMirmand, said that the 22nd round of Gulfood will focus on commercial businesses and support the exhibition’s standing as the largest annual food and beverages exhibition in the world.
“We are confident in the new categories of the exhibition,” she stressed. “It aims to save visitors’ time and achieve the highest possible productivity.”
She added that analysts’ expectations indicate a continued high demand in the region during the coming period, pushed by population growth.
She noted that despite the large number of exhibitors, the management is still receiving further requests to join.
LohMirmand explained that the exhibition is a gold mine for food producers and importers alike, where it brings together exhibitors and buyers in the same place and time, noting that the international reputation of the exhibition makes it a platform that facilitates direct trade between international companies.
Gulfood 2017 is a specialised exhibition for companies in business and trade only. It will be open from 11am to 7pm between 26 February and 1 March and from 11am to 5pm on 2 March. Visitors can register to attend at the entrance for AED 350 ($95).
