The fifth annual SIAL Middle East exhibition, the fastest-growing event for the region’s food, drink and hospitality sectors, concluded recently at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), with confirmed trade deals worth in excess of $544 million.
The event recorded an increase in international pavilions and exhibition floor space. Burgeoning numbers of international and regional buyers, along with growth in exhibitor numbers, underscored the importance of the occasion.
A number of major on-site announcements were made, particularly by participants from the record number of national pavilions, either through direct trade agreements or through the growing number of global networks with key international brands.
"We have not only reinforced but have also developed a gamut of new partnerships, which will help us address a range of issues such as food security, as well as further underscoring Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading trade hub for the Middle East’s food industry," said Mohamed Jalal Al Rayssi (pictured), director of communication and community service division at the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) and chairman of the SIAL Middle East organising committee.
He expressed his contentment at the grand success of the event to the Abu Dhabi government and HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister of the UAE, minister of presidential affairs, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, and patron of SIAL Middle East.
"The success of the event, now at its fifth edition, is attributed to the seamless support by the Abu Dhabi government and the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which helped it expanding, year by year, both content- and volume-wise, and finally reaching to this global height," Mohamed Jalal Al Rayssi said.
"As the wise leadership of the Abu Dhabi government has always been keen to follow a strategic vision that underlines a sustainable food sector with safety and security as its prime focus, SIAL hopes to escalate to new heights in the coming years under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed," he added.
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