Over sixty Food & Beverage exporting companies from Sri Lanka successfully participated in the 24th edition of Gulf Food 2019 trade exhibition which is considered as the world’s biggest Food & Drink event held annually. It was held at Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, UAE during 17th to 21st February from 11.00am to 7.00 pm daily. The opportunity was effectively utilized for the promotion of Ceylon Tea and food related exports from Sri Lanka to the UAE and Gulf region as well as other global markets.
During the current year, twenty six (26) Sri Lankan companies participated in the exhibition displaying their products consisting of various food and beverages items under the national pavilion of “Export Development Board of Sri Lanka” which occupied a total space area of over 190 sqm, at the Gulf Food 2019. The above twenty-six companies consisted of 14 food related exporters, 8 tea and beverage exporting companies and 5 organic coconut based products and healthy food exporting companies. Further, four other companies also participated in the exhibition as observers through the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka.
Moreover, eighteen (18) tea exporting companies from Sri Lanka participated at the exhibition under the national pavilion banner of “Sri Lanka Tea Board” occupying a total space area of 216 sq. mts. in the Exhibition. On top of that, there were another large number of leading individual Sri Lankan tea exporting companies such as Dilmah, Akbar, Impra, Empire, Jafferjee, Anverally, Eswaran, Qualitea, Venture etc which also took part in the Exhibition. A total of 43 tea companies from Sri Lanka participated as exhibitors at the trade exhibition.
More than 120 countries participated in the Gulf Food 2019 which is one of the World’s largest food and beverage trade exhibitions that is being held annually. Representing these countries, over 5000 exhibitors displayed a range of diverse products at their dedicated national pavilion. During the five days of the event, it is estimated more than 98,000 business customers representing various food sectors visited the exhibition which was specifically targeted at the global business community. Thus, it created unique business opportunities for the exhibitors. The total area of the exhibition was over 1 million square meters and the food sectors of the exhibition was categorized into nine major product segments, i.e. Beverages, dairy, fats and oils, health, wellness, Free-from, meat and poultry, power brands, pulses, grains and cereals, halal world food and world food. The event was declared open by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the UAE Minister of Finance.
The participation of Sri Lanka at the Gulf Food 2019 was successful in providing opportunities for the local companies participated to secure several million US dollars worth of direct orders at the site itself, whilst also establishing and consolidating a large number of business contacts between the Sri Lankan and the UAE companies. In addition further business order were secured with GCC and the other countries in the world, paving the way for enhancing Sri Lanka’s overall exports to the world.
The Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai & Northern Emirates coordinated and facilitated Sri Lanka’s participation at the Gulf Food 2019 in association with Sri Lanka Export Development Board and Sri Lanka Tea Board.
