Irish food body exhibits at Gulfood for first time
The trade show ran from 27-29 October and was opened by Dubai deputy ruler and minister of finance and industry Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The Bord Bía stand was themed Origin Green and targeted dairy and dairy ingredients buyers from the Middle East, North Africa and near Asia.
“Participating at Gulfood Manufacturing… offers an ideal opportunity for Bord Bía ... to present Ireland’s unique message on sustainable food production through our Origin Green programme,” said Michael Hussey, Bord Bía’s manager in Dubai, speaking at the event.
Market access
“In addition the recent announcement by [Irish agriculture] minister [Simon] Coveney on opening market access for Irish beef and sheep meat to Oman with no age limit gives a renewed boost to our efforts in that region.”
The three-day event brought together 1,500 exhibitors from the food and beverage industries, including manufacturers, suppliers and distributors. More than 30,000 visitors attended, including international government minsters, top-level trade delegations and global industry leaders.
The international pavilions included representation from more than 26 countries and trade visitors were expected to exceed 30,000, with numbers awaiting confirmation.
Seafood
Seafex 2015, the Middle East region’s biggest showcase and international trade fair for the seafood industry, also took place in the Dubai World Trade Centre at the same time as Gulfood.
The seafood event drew more than 110 exhibitors from more than 26 countries. During this event, Irish companies Gallagher Bros and Harty Oysters met representatives from hotels, restaurants, caterers, wholesalers and distributors.
Bord Bía claimed the Middle East and North African (MENA) markets had performed very well in recent years. Irish food and beverage exports to the region were valued at €364m in 2014, an increase of 20% on the previous year, driven mainly by the dairy sector, it said.
