Dubai: The Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the UAE’s Minister of Finance, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, officially inaugurated Gulfood 2018, a food and beverage commodity expo, on Sunday morning at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
Running from February 18 until February 22, the event is the 23rd edition of the show, and will feature more than 5,000 local, regional and international exhibitors hawking their wares and 97,000 attendees bearing witness to the food industry’s latest trends and technology.
Specialised segments of the show will focus on the halal food industry, estimated in recent research to grow to a $10 trillion (Dh36 trillion) market by 2030; a chef competition; and dedicated areas for beverages, health and wellness foods, and fats and oils.
The exhibition also plays host to the world’s largest annual halal food sourcing trade show. A key issue on this year’s agenda is the standardisation of halal certifications. The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology is driving a push for the unification of halal accreditation and harmonised halal standards.
Trade delegations will visit from countries such as Pakistan, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, all looking to take advantage of the booming halal market.
Health and wellness, alongside free-from products, including wheat-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free, also feature prominently at this year’s Gulfood. Organic foods are set to hit $1.5 billion in sales this year, driven by demand from key supermarkets, according to a 2017 Frost and Sullivan report.
