International confidence in Dubai's procedures and considering it a regional gateway to the Middle East markets
500 new companies participate in Gulfood for the first time.
2500 companies from 85 countries are participating in "Gulfood 2021".
Photography: Patrick Castillo
Sergio Segovia: “(Gulfood 2021) is of pivotal importance for the Brazilian Trade Promotion Agency and for companies.”
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The current edition of the Gulfood 2021 food fair recorded an increase in the number of new international companies participating for the first time in the exhibition, compared to the previous session, despite the Coronavirus pandemic.
The exhibition management at the Dubai World Trade Center revealed to "Emirates Today" that the number of new companies reached 500, which constitutes 20% of the total 2500 participating companies from 85 countries, compared to 9% during the last year’s session.
Officials of international companies at the exhibition confirmed that the pandemic did not prevent their first participation in the exhibition, confirming the confidence of international companies in the precautionary measures and measures followed in Dubai and the exhibition, in addition to the high confidence in the position of Dubai markets, as a regional gateway for the expansion of food companies to the Middle East markets.
New companies
In detail, Mark Napier, director of the Gulf Food Exhibition, at the Dubai World Trade Center, said that the current session of the exhibition witnessed an increase in the number of new international companies participating for the first time, despite the circumstances imposed by the Corona virus pandemic.
He revealed that 500 new companies participate in the exhibition, representing 20% of the total 2500 participating companies from 85 countries, compared to only 9% during the last year’s session, considering this as a positive indicator of the success of the exhibition in attracting many new companies under the circumstances. Current.
Nepper added that a large number of international companies producing and importing food were keen to participate in the current year’s session, in the context of expanding their activities across Dubai to the region’s markets, and stimulating sales under the conditions of the pandemic, pointing out that the new companies operate in different food sectors, in addition to Companies specialized in the technology of processing, packaging and packaging of food products.
"Business" confidence
For his part, Senior Manager Business Development for the UAE, Oman and Bahrain markets at the Northern Ireland Investment Agency, Scott Hannah, said that the Northern Ireland Pavilion is witnessing the participation of 17 companies, of which seven are participating for the first time.
Hana pointed to the confidence of international companies in the precautionary measures and measures followed in Dubai and the exhibition related to safety, in addition to the high confidence in the position of Dubai markets, as a regional gateway for the expansion of food companies to the markets of the Middle East, especially with the availability of logistics services, ease of doing business, export and re-export through Dubai to various markets of the world.
Brazilian companies
In the same context, Sergio Segovia, head of the Brazilian government's Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (APEX-Brasil), attributed the participation of 11 new Brazilian companies, for the first time out of a total of 50 participating companies, to the interest of Brazilian food companies to be present in the Dubai markets, and to rely on the Dubai Center. , A regional platform for food trade towards various countries of the Arab region, Asia and Africa.
He pointed out that the volume of deals signed by Brazilian companies during the Gulfood 2020 exhibition amounted to 857.692 million dollars, while this figure is expected to increase by 30% during the current session, with the return of commercial activity to the rapid recovery in the UAE markets during the last period, in support of the smooth flow. Commercial traffic.
He pointed out that the percentage of food exports from Brazil to the UAE increased during the pandemic, with the support of the UAE policy in food security and diversification of food sources.
He stressed that despite the repercussions of the pandemic
"Covid-19" for many global food companies, "Gulfood 2021" is still of pivotal importance for the agency and for these companies.
12 new French companies
The director of food and agricultural products at the "Business France" agency for exports in the Middle East, Flavi Picaye, said that the number of new French companies participating for the first time in the activities of "Gulfood 2021" reached 12 out of a total of 30 companies participating, stressing that the pandemic conditions did not prevent Participating companies, with the aim of looking for opportunities to expand their business, through exhibition stands in Dubai, to the markets of the Middle East region.
The
exhibition succeeded in attracting new companies, despite the current circumstances.
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