A selection of Scotland’s finest food and drink produce, which is the country’s largest export sector to the UAE, has been showcased at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Organised by Scottish Development International (SDI), Scotland’s Food and Drink VIP Reception and Showcase highlighted the country’s world-renowned food and drink sector, whilst providing export opportunities for Scottish firms to the UAE and the wider Middle East market.

More than a dozen Scottish firms displayed their produce at the showcase, including fresh Scottish salmon, world-renowned oysters and plant-based products.  The event coincided with Gulfood 2022, described as the largest annual food and drink sourcing event in the world, which is taking place in Dubai throughout this week.

Food and Drink remains one of Scotland’s top international export sectors, with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) statistics showing these exports to be worth £5.5bn in 2020.

The culinary showcase followed a recent exclusive retail partnership between SDI and Spinneys last month, where 19 famous Scottish brands had their products on sale and promoted in the supermarket’s United Arab Emirates (UAE) stores for two weeks.

Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, who delivered a virtual address at the reception, said:“The Scotland’s Food and Drink Showcase event is a fantastic opportunity to highlight why our food and drink producers have rightly earned a national and international reputation for quality and provenance at a time when consumers are increasingly interested in how their food is produced.

“Scotland is home to companies with the ambition, capability and innovation to influence and respond to global food trends, which unsurprisingly has resulted in our iconic food and drink industry becoming one of Scotland’s fastest growing export sectors.

“UAE and the wider Middle East is a key partner for Scotland and for the Scottish Food & Drink sector which is why we have a dedicated food & drink specialist for the Middle East, based in Dubai.

“Over £300 million worth of Scottish Food & Drink is exported to the Middle East & North Africa region every year and I have no doubt that this figure will grow over the coming years as people continue to discover and appreciate Scotland’s outstanding natural larder.”

Amongst those that exhibited at the showcase, which was hosted by Nicholas Maclean, the Scottish Government’s Trade Envoy to the United Arab Emirates and a member of the prestigious GlobalScot network, was MOWI Scotland.  The company, which farms its salmon in the Western Highlands and Islands, is the biggest exporter of Scottish salmon to the UAE.

Other exhibitors included award-winning oyster farmers based on the pristine shores of Loch Fyne in Argyll, Loch Fyne Oysters, as well as honey producers the Scottish Bee Company and Nudie Snacks, producers of a range of plant-based products.

Ali S. Ali, Food & Drink Specialist for SDI in the Middle East, said: “Global events such as Expo 2020 Dubai and Gulfood have demonstrated the significant opportunities that exist for Scottish exporters in the UAE and the wider Middle East region.

“The Food and Drink Showcase event provided SDI with another high-profile platform to promote the world-class products from Scotland’s larder.  Scotland’s produce is renowned in the Middle East for its quality and this event further highlighted our food and drink industry, potentially increasing international sales for the companies participating.”

SDI was supported by national trade body, Seafood Scotland, in organising the showcase event.  Natalie Bell, Trade Manager from the organisation said: “This event is putting Scottish food and drink firmly on the map in Dubai.

“Seafood is already popular across the UAE, so it’s good to see our Scottish seafood front and centre, with an amazing array of fish and shellfish on offer.”

The food and drink industry is worth around £15bn each year to Scotland’s economy, with more than 17,000 businesses employing approximately 120,000 people.

The sector also helps to attract millions of international visitors to Scotland each year to discover this integral part of Scotland’s unique culture. Research shows that, pre-pandemic, visitors spent around 20 per cent of their expenditure on food and drink – contributing around £1 billion in the Scottish economy. Two thirds of Scotland’s visitors think quality food is an important factor when deciding where to go on holiday and are prepared to pay up to 15 per cent more for produce of Scottish or regional origin.