Dubai \u2013 Halls full of stands and aisles crowded with visitors. This is the backdrop for the first day of Gulfood, the main food sector fair in the Middle East, that began on Sunday (19) and ends on Thursday, in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The movement reflects the current scenery in the market in the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe event is growing, the local economy speeding up and exporters are finding opportunities to sell more than in other markets,\u201d said Mark Napier, the Fair and Event director at Dubai World Trade Centre, which organizes the exhibition, to ANBA.<\/p>\n
According to him, on the one hand, the local market depends on import of food and beverages. The Emirates, for example, buys 90% of its products in the sector on the international market. The Gulf region is mainly desert and does not produce enough to supply its population.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, as the country is a foreign trade hub, 80% of what is purchased ends up being reexported to other nations. Among the main destinations, according to Napier, are countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.<\/p>\n
Record European participation in the fair is a sign of the heated scenery in the . \u201c[European] exhibitors are acting more aggressively in the market. They are seeking more clients, and are mainly interested in the markets that are growing most, and the Middle East is among them,\u201d said the executive.<\/p>\n
In his evaluation, European companies are seeking alternatives to their domestic markets, which are wilting, due to the crisis on the continent. \u201cThey are not selling [enough] at home, so they have to export , and they may reach a great market here,\u201d he pointed out. \u201cIt is no surprise that they (the Europeans) are trying to accommodate themselves [here],\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Brazilians<\/b><\/p>\n
The faith in the good scenery in the sector in the region is shared by Brazilian companies that are exhibiting at the fair. \u201cWe have been preparing ourselves for this market since 2008 and, each year, we seek more clients and also attempt to improve what we already have,\u201d said the foreign trade manager at biscuit factory Marilan, C\u00e9sar Reis. \u201cThis fair is spectacular. In terms of movement, it is the best in the world due to its [visitor] diversity,\u201d he pointed out.<\/p>\n
Napier said that from 2008 to date the fair has doubled in size. There are 3,800 exhibitors from 88 nations and it is expected to attract 65,000 visitors from 150 countries.<\/p>\n
To Solange Isidoro, of sweet and caramel factory Embar\u00e9, the fair grows solidly and the market is becoming more and more promising for the food sector. \u201cIt is excellent for us,\u201d she said, adding that, due to the Arab Spring, sales to countries like Egypt and Yemen were affected, but that there has been no reduction in sales to the Gulf.<\/p>\n
Marilan and Embar\u00e9 are already veterans at the fair, but some companies are participating for the first time. That is the case with Maval\u00e9rio, from Itatiba, in the interior of the state of S\u00e3o Paulo, which produces sweets for use in cakes and other deserts. \u201cThe Middle East is a market that is still little explored by us. That is also the case in Eastern Europe and Asia,\u201d said the company representative. He added that the movement on the first day of the fair was very good and that he is optimistic regarding to the opportunities.<\/p>\n
Napier added that the breadmaking and confectionery areas are among the strongest in Gulfood and that the demand for raw material for the industry in the area is intense.<\/p>\n
Natural<\/b><\/p>\n
According to him, there is also greater and greater presence of organic products, which are fresh and considered beneficial for health. \u201cThere is greater concern as to what you eat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In this line, two exhibitors from Brazil are offering assai, a fruit that, when mashed, is among the favourite foods of Brazilian athletes. Jo\u00e3o Batista Ribeiro, from Brasphil Trading, said that there is good acceptance of the product. He said he made contact with a company from Abu Dhabi that was interested in importing assai to sell to jiu-jitsu fighters. Ribeiro also offers mashed fruit like cashew, soursop, cupuassu and acerola.<\/p>\n
Marcelo Gurgel Oliveira, in turn, owns a trading company in partnership with a friend from Kuwait, and created brand A\u00e7a\u00ed M.E.N.A., specifically for the Middle East and North Africa. The product is made by Amaz\u00f4nia Energy, from Bel\u00e9m do Par\u00e1, and is sold both in bulk and in retail packages, in small pots similar to H\u00e4agen Dazs ice cream pots. The small containers were custom made for a supermarket chain in Kuwait.<\/p>\n
Oliveira, who also participated in the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade delegation to the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which ended on Saturday, said he also made good contacts with importers of both countries and of Jordan.<\/p>\n
To the manager of the Brazilian Fruit Institute (Ibraf) export project, Stela Del Nery, there is much demand for fruit processed in the region, but Brazilian companies have not yet become aware of the opportunities. \u201cThe market has been growing and there is fantastic potential. Brazil is still crawling, but it is a matter of time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Meats are up<\/b><\/p>\n
In the case of beef, according to Fernando Sampaio, the executive director at the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association (Abiec), the year started well, after a 2011 that was not as busy. The price of the Brazilian product is more competitive and there is optimism in the sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are optimistic regarding this year, and the [Arab] market is still very important,\u201d he pointed out. According to him, North Africa and the Middle East, including Iran, which is not Arab, are the main destination for Brazilian beef, even above Russia.<\/p>\n
Napier said that Gulfood had a turnover of \u201chundreds of millions of dollars\u201d in business and that there is a list of 900 companies aiming to exhibit. For this reason, his company organises three other fairs, throughout the year, specifically for seafood, fine foods and sweets.<\/p>\n
*Translated by Mark Ament<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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