Hiiraan Online
Monday February 19, 2018
A trader displays his products at the 2018 Gulfood Fair. COURTESY: GEEL
Dubai (HOL) - The 23rd annual Gulfood Fair has officially been opened at the Dubai World Trade Centre. This year's expo is featuring over 40 Somali companies displaying their products.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, today opened Gulfood 2018 on Sunday. With over a million square feet of exhibition space, Gulfood is the world's largest food and beverage trading expo.
This year's fair is expected to attract over 90,000 food industry professionals who will view more than 5,000 regional and international exhibitors across eight segments, including Beverages; Dairy; Fats & Oils; Health, Wellness & Free-From; Pulses, Grains & Cereals; Meat & Poultry; Power Brands and World Food.
Somalia will be represented at the food expo by 40 companies who will be selling Somali bananas, dried lemons, chilli, groundnuts, sesame, beans, oils & meat.
Last year, Somali businesses made over USD $2 million in sales.
The Growth, Enterprise, Employment and Livelihoods (GEEL) - a USAID funded project that promotes inclusive economic growth for farmers in Somalia- helped some of the participants bring their products to the expo.
Charlee Doom, an Economic Growth Advisor at USAID, said that the main objective of GEEL is to help farmers increase their agricultural productivity and assist them in finding a market for their products.
Hiiraan Online spoke with some of the vendors at the expo who said that they are happy at the opportunity to display their goods and promote Somali products.
Somalia traders at the GULFOOD FAIR, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE - COURTESY: GEEL
Khadra Abdullahi, a coconut trader said that she found a great market for her coconut oils and has already made some sales.
The Gulfood Fair will be running from February 18-22. The Somali booth # 99.