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Dubai /Â WAM
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, on Sunday opened the 22nd edition of the Gulfood 2017, the food and beverage exhibition, at Dubai World Trade Centre.
After the formal inauguration Sheikh Hamdan toured the 1,000,000 sq.ft. show, which is set to run for five days and is expected to receive up to 90,000 food professionals from 150 countries.
“Buyer demand for healthy and halal products, as well as trusted resource provenance, has turned Gulfood 2017 into a window to global food sector reinvention. The show is already underlining its international reputation as a hotbed for unique business opportunities,” said Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president, exhibitions and events management, DWTC.
Some 5,000 exhibitors from 120 countries will be showcasing their products and service, with more than 2,000 participants making their debut at the exhibition, which also hosts the world’s biggest annual halal food sourcing trade show-in-show in Halal World Food.
“Now in its 22nd edition, Gulfood has long since completed its evolution from a regional event with international participation to an international show that is held in the region,” said LohMirmand.
The show also offers 120 national pavilions with four countries Azerbaijan, Finland, Malta and Somalia represented for the first time. China, India, Italy, Spain and the USA will mount the largest international pavilions, with Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Lebanon and Morocco showcasing regional capabilities.
Visitors to Gulfood 2017 will find a focused new layout, with eight individual food commodity trading markets created covering Beverages; Dairy; Fats and Oils; Health, Wellness and Free-From; Pulses, Grains and Cereals; Meat and Poultry; Power Brands and World Food.
Back for the fourth year in a row, Halal World Food will feature more than 1,000 international specialist halal food brands and companies.
The show also hosts the annual Emirates Culinary Guild International Salon Culinaire, the world’s largest single-entry chefs’ competition. The 2017 Salon Culinaire will see more than 1,000 of the region’s top professional chefs, pastry chefs, cooks and bakers compete for honours accredited by an expert panel mandated by the World Association of Chefs Societies.