Australia’s food exports to the MENA region now exceed those to China, and are significantly higher than those to Japan and other ASEAN nations, according to Pablo Kang, Australian ambassador to the UAE and Qatar.
“The UAE is Australia’s largest food export market in the MENA valued at 642 million Australian dollars, larger than the size of exports to India,” Kang told a press conference.
In 2012, food exports to MENA totaled around $ 3.3 billion and this continues to grow at a substantial rate every year,” he said, while talking about the Gulfood Exhibition, which opens at the Dubai World Trade Center on Feb. 25.
Gulfood organizers, meanwhile, told Arab News that more than 50 firms from Saudi Arabia had confirmed their participation and most of them are from food and drink sector.
In addition to this, processing and packaging, Ingredients, equipment and hospitality firms based in the Kingdom are also participating in the Gulfood.
India, Italy, US, Spain, Turkey, UK, Germany, France UAE and Egypt are going to be represented by hundreds of companies.
Heads of state, ministers from 12 countries, and many top business firms from 110 countries will be attending the “world’s largest” annual food trade show that will run for four days with 4,200 exhibitors and 50,000 brands.
Jude Akhidenor, regional director of the Agricultural Trade Office at the US Consulate, said the US exports of food and agriculture to the GCC have grown from $ 839 million in 2000 to over $ 2.7 billion in 2012.
“Not only does this reflect consumers’ preference for and confidence in US brands, it also shows that American producers have recognized the enormous export opportunities in the GCC, now one of the top 13 markets for our agricultural exports,” he added.
According to statistics, food imports to the region will increase by as much as 100 percent to AED 194 billion by 2020.
“The UAE’s food consumption has risen considerably in recent years and is projected to grow in line with rising populations and affluence. This presents a number of opportunities within the food sector. In particular, we see opportunities for partnerships with food producers in Africa, using Dubai as a manufacturing and distribution base serving the emirates, GCC and wider MENA region,” said Hamad Buamim, director general, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).
The value of food consumption in the UAE is expected to have reached AED 28.2 billion in 2012, Buamim said.
This was forecast to increase to AED 32.6 billion in 2013.
Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO of Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) and director general of Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM), added that this year’s exhibition will have the participation of more countries through their ministers and delegations than before.
Francois Sporrer, French Trade Commissioner in the UAE, outlined the increasing importance of the MENA region. “France exports more than one-third of total production so reaching markets such as the Middle East is clearly important. French agrifood exports to the UAE alone increased by 31 percent in 2011 and totalled 215 million euros.”
“With a record 130 French exhibitors at Gulfood, we will have the largest French Pavilion at any food event worldwide,” he added.
Ministers and top officials from Australia, Argentina, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Korea, Lithuania, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, the UK and the US will be conducting key trade discussions during the opening days of Gulfood 2013.
Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi, the UAE minister of foreign trade, will address senior delegations on the opening day of the Food Leaders’ Summit.
