DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – The world´s largest annual food and beverage sourcing event, the Gulfood tradeshow, took place here this week, bringing together traders and foodservice professionals from all over the world. It is the first year the tradeshow had two locations within the city, the well-established World Trade Center location, and the new addition at the Dubai Expo City, effectively doubling the exhibiting area and offering space for 8,500 exhibitors from 195 countries, showcasing 1.5 million products from the food and beverage sector.
USA Rice exhibited at the new location at Dubai Expo City and members from American Commodity Company, ADM Rice, Farmers’ Rice Cooperative, Sun Valley Rice, and Sunwest Foods traveled here to participate.
“Gulfood has become the place to be to meet new buyers from the entire Middle East, Africa, and beyond, and also provides a great opportunity to meet with our existing trade partners,” said Derek Alarcon, director of sales and marketing at Farmers’ Rice Cooperative and chair of the USA Rice Europe, Middle East, and Africa Trade Policy Subcommittee who made the trip to Dubai. “Rice is a major staple used in local dishes all over the region, and U.S. rice is known and appreciated here for its high quality."
Throughout the week, participating members and staff engaged with potential and existing customers from around the globe and collected approximately 80 trade leads which will be shared with membership.
The Middle East is an important export destination for several U.S. rice types including medium grain varieties, mostly to Jordan and the West Bank, as well as different forms of long grain to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, and others.
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