GULFOOD 2015 TO SHED LIGHT ON HALAL INDUSTRY

Dubai, 14 Rabi’ul Akhir 1436/4 February 2015 (MINA) – The halal food industry will be in focus at Gulfood 2015, one of the region’s largest food and hospitality trade shows.

Taking place from February 8-12 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Gulfood will host Halal Food World, a halal food sourcing event which will bring together more than 1,000 specialist halal food brands.

The exhibitors will showcase a range of halal products, including energy drinks, vegan and vegetarian foods, meat and poultry, canned food, and gourmet and fine foods, Gulfnews quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The focus on halal products at the exhibition underlines Dubai’s push to become the capital of the Islamic economy.

“The global halal food market accounts for a fifth of the world’s food trade and Halal Food World will ensure Gulfood continues to play a leading role in the growth of the halal food sector,” said Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice-president of exhibitions and events management at DWTC, at a press conference in Dubai on Tuesday.

According to statistics from DWTC, the exhibition’s organiser, the UAE’s halal food imports is forecast to grow from $3 billion (Dh11 billion) in 2011 to $8.4 billion by 2020. Globally, the halal food market is worth around $1 trillion annually.

The event will also feature the Halal Investment Conference, which will discuss business opportunities in the global halal market and the role of halal in Dubai’s capital of the Islamic economy vision, among other topics.

Further, Gulfood will highlight food security concerns in the region in the World Food Security Summit, which will attract more than 200 food industry professionals.

Taking place on February 11 is the Food Franchising Forum, which will discuss ways companies can create a successful franchise, as well as the regulation of franchising processes in the UAE, among other topics.

The event will feature more than 4,800 companies from international and regional countries, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, US, Australia and France. New countries participating in the event include Estonia, Monaco and Uzbekistan.

Among the brands that will be participating in the show are Lipton, Al Rabie, Del Monte, Knorr and Aujan.

More than 80,000 visitors from 150 countries are expected to attend the event.

This year’s edition of Gulfood will be larger than last year’s in terms of exhibition space — by around 10,000 square metres, according to LohMirmand.

Marquees have been built outside DWTC, near the metro station, to accommodate the increasing number of exhibitors.

For next year’s show, however, the exhibition space is expected to be similar.

“In terms of more space beyond that, it is unlikely — not in the next one or two years. It will be based on existing capacity, but more permanent halls [built behind Za’abeel Hall],” LohMirmand told Gulf News on the sidelines of the press conference.(T/P009/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)