Business France, the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, will be organizing 4 French pavilions atGulfood 2022 under Taste France’s banner with 69companies (vs 30 in 2020)distributed among 4 halls in DWTC from February 13^th to 17^th2022: World Food products at Sheikh Saeed Halls; Dairies in Halls 1 & 2 , Meat & Poultry in Halls 3&4 and Beverages inZa’abeel Hall 1 & 3.

During this five-days trade show, agri-food professionals will be able to connect with French companies covering different sectors of the F&B industry.They will be representing French excellence in the F&B industry, through their innovative and sensible products to address the challenges of the industry and better meet consumer demands for healthier and reasonable options.

PROMISING PARTNERSHIPS TO BE DISCUSSED WITH MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTERPARTS

Expected to gather globally more traffic than the previous edition, France renews its participation atGulfood this year with 69 companies to offer the region the best of the FrenchF&B products. Exhibiting companies will display their products, innovations, and craftsmanship with the purpose of nurturing new partnerships.

FlaviePaquay, Head of Business France’s UAE office &F&B department commented: “Global food buyers, importers, and distributors will take advantage of the networking opportunities to find supplies suitable to their target market. During the preparation phase of the event, I could witness how excited are French exhibitors to showcase their latest products, specifically produced to fit with the middle eastern taste buds.

“Participating at one of the largest annual F&B sourcing event in the world becomes a tradition for France. We are excited to renew our commitment by taking part in the27^th edition of the Gulfoodand share with the visitors the values of the French food industry: Excellence, responsibility, authenticity, sharing, and innovation “ addedFlaviePaquay.

AN INCREASING NUMBER OF HEALTHY PRODUCTS AMONG 23+ NEW PRODUCTS TO BE INTRODUCED

Among trends to be featured across French pavilions, we’ll have instant plant-based milk and baby formula plant-based milk, organic popcorn, single-flower honey and a disruptive organic flavored water enhancer. Visitors will (re)discover organic chestnut puree, macaroons, roasted hazelnut taste flour, vegan sauces, ready-to-drink healthy beverages and the number one French exporter of butter ghee.The increasing healthy ranges of the exhibitor’s products echo the recent figures attesting that healthy food products have doubled in sales with an expected growth of 15% until 2023 in the UAE.

A STRATEGIC SECTOR IN THE UAE-FRANCE TRADE RELATIONSHIP

With nearly 220M € of French agri-food products imported into the UAE, France ranks among the top 10 suppliers of the United Arab Emirates, especially for dairy products, cheeses. the market for confectionery and chocolate, bakery products and soft drinks is also increasing.In France, agri-food is one of the rare sectors to see growth at unprecedented rates even over and post pandemic (+5.1% from 2019 to 2021).

Source:French government, Foreign trade results – first half of 2021

In December 2021, following the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food to collaborate on developing sustainable and resilient food systems that enhances food security for both countries. The MoU entails joint implementation of R&D and training programs in food security, in order to reduce food waste and foster sustainable agricultural production. TIn this regard,both ministries agreed to jointly enhance their countries’ appeal to food startups through driving innovation in tackling food security challenges and creating attractive business opportunities.

The list of French exhibitors at Gulfood 2022:

The French Food Catalog at Gulfood 2022