The third edition of Gulfood Manufacturing, the Middle East's biggest food manufacturing, processing and packaging, logistics, cold chain and materials handling exhibition, opens today (Nov. 7) at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) with an impressive 20 percent year-on-year growth in exhibitors and exhibition space. The show's rapid growth comes just months after Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai Industrial Strategy – a multi-faceted policy that aims to elevate Dubai into a global platform for knowledge-based, sustainable and innovation-focused businesses. According to Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC, Gulfood Manufacturing is perfectly aligned with the Industrial Strategy, which aims to generate more than 27,000 jobs and contribute AED160 billion towards the emirate's economy by 2030. "This year is a genuine coming of age for Gulfood Manufacturing," said LohMirmand. "As the region's primary platform for regional food and beverage (F&B) industry companies to access global food producers, equipment manufacturers and cold chain providers across the international food production value chain, Gulfood Manufacturing is a strategic catalyst for prolonged food manufacturing industry growth in Dubai, the UAE and the wider region." Having swelled to 13 halls – two more than last year – Gulfood Manufacturing 2016 will be split into three specialist areas across more than 80,000 square metres of exhibition space. The show includes Ingredients Middle East, which features fine and functional ingredients and the latest bulk and commodity ingredients, innovations, tastes and flavors; ProPack Middle East, covering automation, processing equipment and packaging machinery to solve production challenges and increase volume, flexibility, efficiency, quality and cost control; and Logistics Solutions Middle East, a platform for firms involved in materials handling, transport and commercial vehicles, IT and technology solutions, warehousing operators, facilitators and service providers. Across its three dedicated zones, Gulfood Manufacturing will feature more than 1,600 exhibitors from 58 countries including 29 official national pavilions, including production machinery leaders Austria, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. The show will also welcome first-time national pavilions representing Indonesia, Ireland, Russia and South Africa. With some 905-plus exhibitors – approximately 50 per cent of the total companies at this year's show – from 29 national and industry pavilions, ProPack Middle East is the largest sector at Gulfood Manufacturing. According to Amir Sotoudeh, Managing Director, Multivac, one of the world's leading food packaging solutions providers, Gulfood Manufacturing is now viewed as an unmissable platform for companies across the global food manufacturing and production industries. "After establishing our Middle East business in 2006 and having exhibited annually at Gulfood since 2007, the emergence of Gulfood Manufacturing has been a core revenue driver for us over the last two years. The highly-specialised show opens business development avenues and is a perfect platform for us to network with high-end food manufacturers, as well as a growing portfolio of final cut users from the region – particularly GCC countries, which make up a major market for our efficient packaging lines and solutions," said Sotoudeh. "The sector-specific nature of the event is a truly unique opportunity to showcase our comprehensive portfolio of packaging solutions – from thermoforming packaging, labeling and quality inspection systems, to turnkey production lines – to a global audience of influential F&B manufacturers and purchasers." Ingredients Middle East is the second largest zone with 407 exhibitors from 41 countries promoting fine and functional ingredients and the latest bulk and commodity ingredients, innovations, tastes and flavours. The dedicated zone spans 25,034 square metres – a 36 per cent increase on floor space from last year. Finally, a significantly expanded Logistics Solutions ME reflects the importance of the specialist arena for food-specific logistics – a core component of a UAE logistics industry having reached AED 99 billion in 2015, according to the UAE National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL), which has signed up as the show's official logistics partner. DWTC will also roll out its most extensive Hosted Buyer Programme, sponsored by Tetra Pak, at this year's show. More than 2,000 of the region's most prominent industrial buyers are attending the event courtesy of complimentary flights, accommodation and transport to and from the event. Elsewhere, an extended line-up of highly-focused, free-to-attend conferences and forums will cement Gulfood Manufacturing's status as the primary knowledge-exchange platform for regional food manufacturing professionals. Running 7-8 November and chaired by Kim Winter, Chief Executive Officer of the global advisory Logistics Executive Group, the two-day Food Logistics Forum – the region's only specific logistics event for the F&B industry – will tackle the regional impact of China's ‘One Belt, One Road' initiative, the re-entry of Iran into global markets and other key issues affecting trade and sustainability in a new economic world order. "This will be an exceptional knowledge-gathering platform for all involved in a sector which is now being impacted by the opening of new markets and trade corridors which will ultimately influence the regional industry," added LohMirmand. Meanwhile, the two-day Talks@Gulfood Manufacturing will lift the lid on the future of the Middle East and North Africa's entire F&B eco-system with innovation, automation, artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and the appliance of science in the agenda sights. During two days of sessions on 7 and 8 November, 15 industry experts will lay out their forecasts for a sector which is predicted to grow 7.4 per cent annually over the next four years, according to global market intelligence provider Euromonitor International. Alongside Gulfood Manufacturing 2016, DWTC is also staging its annual trio of conveniently-segmented food events: The Speciality Food Festival, which caters for producers, suppliers, importers & exporters of gourmet, halal and organic products; SEAFEX, the region's biggest trade fair and sourcing platform for the international seafood industry; and Yummex Middle East in partnership with Koelnmesse GmbH, the region's leading international trade fair for the confectionery and snacks market. Joining the four specialist food events is the new Future Food Live, Dubai's first international conference on Applied Nutrition that DWTC is running in partnership with the Dubai Municipality. Trade visitors focusing on the wellbeing segment will discover the full spectrum of organic, free-from, halal and other healthy food products and ingredients. Attendees will include everyone from global food specialists and distributors to large-scale government-backed farms. Gulfood Manufacturing opens between 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Nov. 7 and 8 and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Nov. 9. Attendance, which is free-of-charge, is for trade professionals only. — SG
