DUBAI, 21 January 2007 — The UAE’s annual imports of food hit $3 billion last year and are growing 10 percent annually, according to a report by Food and Agriculture Organization. The estimated global expenditures on imported foodstuffs reached a historic high of $374 billion in 2006, over 2 percent more than the level of 2005, said the report.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is one of the largest producers and importers of food and feed grains in the world, with Egypt being the biggest wheat importer in the world, and Turkey, among the top countries for wheat production, said the report.
Within the GCC, Saudi Arabia remains the largest market for food imports, representing approximately 60 percent of the food market.
Dubai plays a key role in the distribution of food in the region, with over 70 percent of total UAE food imports re-exported to more than 160 countries including the Gulf, the Indian subcontinent, North and East Africa, and, increasingly, the Central Asian Republics.
Some countries are reliant on imports to meet their food needs, which - given the rising population - is creating markets with major potential. Kuwait, for example, imports 100 percent of its food, and food imports made up 30 percent of average total imports for Egypt in 2006, according to the report.
The region’s food services industry event, Gulfood 2007, will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center from Feb. 19-22.