Strong response across food industry to region’s first ingredients middle east exhibition

The Middle East’s first trade exhibition dedicated
to raw materials and ingredients has generated a strong response from
the region’s fast-evolving manufacturing and processing industry, with
particular interest from groups specialising in Halal food, beverages
and health food.

Ingredients Middle East, organised by Dubai World Trade Centre
(DWTC), will take place from 15-17 June 2008 at the Dubai International
Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) and has already attracted some
of the world’s leading ingredient producers.

As the organiser of Gulfood, the region’s largest food and beverage
event, Ingredients Middle East will support the Government’s recent
drive to support domestic food production, to reduce reliance on
imports and better control prices, and the result has been a
rapidly-growing local manufacturing sector.

The UAE’s food processing industry was valued at US$ 3 billion in
2007 and is growing at 11% a year. With a population of around 4.1
million and an anticipated population growth rate of approximately 6.9%
per annum, the UAE is one of the fastest-expanding markets in the
world.  

“With such strong international interest, it is evident that
Ingredients Middle East is meeting the needs of a key market sector,
whose importance is only going to increase with time. With a
fast-growing regional food and beverage industry – including rapidly
developing specialist markets like Halal food and health food –
governments and businesses are paying increasing attention to selecting
the right partner to supply ingredients and raw materials,” said Joanne
Cook, Industry Group Manager, Dubai World Trade Centre. 

Given the strong potential for business development, Ingredients
Middle East has drawn interest from manufacturers, distributors and
international suppliers who cultivate, extract, process or supply raw
materials and ingredients. 

The event will welcome almost 100 exhibitors. Key suppliers include
market leaders Doehler Middle East Ltd; CHR Hansen Middle East Fzco;
Transveritas; Agus SP ZOO; Reda Food Ingredients; Food Specialties;
Maskem; Dairy Tech; Agrana Fruit Istanbul and many others.

China, Egypt, Germany and Turkey are among the 17 countries that
will be present this year as well as India, one of the world’s largest
markets for raw materials in food processing which has recently
announced plans to invest US$25 million in the sector by 2015.

Co-located with Ingredients Middle East will be the specialist
conference the “Arab Beverages Forum 2008”, taking place on the 15 and
16 June. The conference will detail the current global situation and
how it impacts the local beverage market.

Key topic areas include flavoring and packaging, as well as
strategies to develop and position products to capture new markets.
Delegates interested in attending the forum can visit www.taaheel.ae for more information.