Gulfood 2019

21 Jan, 2019 - BCB

With the 24th edition of Gulfood exhibition returning to the UAE in February this year,  there has never been a better time for British companies to export into the UAE and to take advantage of the world’s largest annual food and beverage trade show. The UAE offers a very conducive environment for F&B business, ranking number one in the MENA region and 4th worldwide in relation to F&B investment  appeal.

The domestic F&B consumer market in the UAE is large & growing .  The food market was estimated at GBP 23.51 billion in 2017, with forecast growth to reach GBP 27.75 billion by 2021. The beverage sector in 2017 generated sales GBP 2.33 billion but is expected to advance to a GBP 2.97 Billion market  by 2012.

Whilst the UAE imports more than 80% of its food and drink products, its strategic and geographical location gives it regional hub status, thus further positioning the UAE as re-export location: there are big re-export flows into regions such as East Africa, South Asia and the rest of the GCC.

And, because Gulfood lives up to its name, these wider regional opportunities are also accessible at next month’s show with buyers travelling in from all over MENASA to engage with UK producers and advance their procurement plans for the year.