The UAE’s focus on promoting national food security and boosting localised food and beverage manufacturing will be in spotlight at the second Future Food Forum set to take place on Oct. 19 and 20 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai. At the Forum, H.E. Mariam Bint Mohammed Al Mheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change & Environment, will present the opening address.

The eagerly anticipated event is hosted by the UAE Food & Beverages Manufacturers Group, and will bring together more than 500 industry leaders to discuss future trends that will shape the F&B manufacturing sector. With wide-ranging discussions featuring experts, the Forum plays important role in shaping the future dynamics of UAE’s F&B manufacturing ecosystem.

This is particularly so as the increase in cost of food manufacturing and distribution has heavily impacted the industry. According to research, raw material prices have increased by 40 to 50 per cent while freight and logistics charges have gone up by 175 to 200 per cent. Further, packaging costs have gained an average 45 per cent and the cost of labour by about 30 per cent. With the UAE focused on promoting localised manufacturing, key players in the industry will present the trends and insights that are influencing the sector through keynote addresses and panel discussions.

Saleh Lootah, Chairman of the UAE Food & Beverages Manufacturers Group, said: “The Future Food Forum 2021 is being held at a very important time in the evolution of the food and manufacturing sector. As one of the key contributors to the national GDP and a key driver of job creation and support to the small and medium business sector, F&B manufacturing is evolving fast with three central pillars: innovation, digitalisation, and sustainability. These will form the basis of the discussions at the Forum. We are thankful to the UAE government for their commitment to securing the future of the industry.”

The highlights of the event include a keynote address by Abdulla Bin Damithan, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, DP World UAE & JAFZA, on ‘Sustaining and Securing Food Chain’; and an insightful keynote by Tamer Mosalam, VP and GM, Gulf and Levant Foods, PEPSICO on ‘F&B Manufacturing Leadership amidst a Global Pandemic.”

Alan Smith, CEO of Agthia; Ahmad Belyouha, Chairman of Emirates Macaroni Factory; and Mohamed Bahaa, Managing Partner, NGC International Advisory, will discuss ‘How to Thrive in a Challenging Tariff and Regulatory Situation, in a session by Sumeet Mathur, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina, Middle East & North Africa.

Another interesting panel is on ‘Stabilising F&B Manufacturing Emerging from a Global Pandemic’ Chaired by Jessy Al Murr, Host and Journalist, the panelists are: Fethi Khiari, CEO of United Foods; Abdulaziz AlMulla, Founder and CEO of Madar Farms; Dr. Raman Kumar, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Logistics; Mubarak Al Mansoori, Chief Human Resources and Corporate Services Officer at Agthia, and Gerald Mahinda, President, MENAT & Africa at Kellogg’s.

Other keynote addresses include H.E. Yerlan Baidaulet, Director General, Islamic Organisation for Food Security by OIC, on ‘Ensuring Sustainable Livestock Ecosystem through the Multilateral Umbrella of IOFS’; Paul Epperson, Vice President, Global Chief Commercial Officer – Manufacturing at GE Digital, on ‘Why Resilient Food Production is Critical for Securing National Food Supply’, and Niels Hougaard, MD – Arabia Area of Tetrapak, who will discuss ’Key Trends that will Shape the Future of Packaging to 2030.

Vedat Guler, Sales Director, Middle East at Sidel; Radwa Medhat, Quality & Regulatory Senior Manager – MENAT and Pakistan at Kellogg’s; Muhammad Idrees, Integrated Supply Chain Director – Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan at Mondelez International, and Rizwan Ahmed Siddiqui, Director – Finance & Commerce at Mai Dubai, will discuss about reducing package and reducing waste at a panel discussion chaired by Priya Sarma Mathur, Sr. Sustainability Head for MENA, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus & Turkey at Unilever.

The Future Food Forum also features ‘Lightning Talks’ by Khalid Saleh, Executive Vice President at Yokogawa ME & Africa; Saud Abu Al-Shawareb, Managing Director of Dubai Industry City; and Rory Mccarthy, Chief Commercial Officer of Yellow Door Energy.

Sumeet Mathur will present a keynote on ‘Sustainability as a Driving Force of Business and Product Development,’ and Grazielle Parenti, Global VP Corporate Affairs, Reputation & Sustainability at BRF, will present a global perspective on sustainable F&B business while Duncan McCulloch, General Manager of Mars Wrigley, ME & Africa, will highlight the regional perspective on sustainability.

A panel discussion that reflects sustainability across the F&B business will be chaired by Wael Ismael, VP – Corporate Affairs at PepsiCo, and addressed by Ahmad Elshal, General Secretary of Danone ME; Gagandeep Singh Sahni, Managing Director of SAFCO; Jesus Gutierrez, Managing Director of Engie Solutions and Sophie Corcut, Head of Sustainability Strategy and Programmes at Spinneys.

On day 2, H.E. Abdulla Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary – Industry Growth Sector at the UAE Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology, will deliver a keynote address on ‘The Future of Food & Beverage Business – The Government’s Commitment to Manufacturers.’

H.E. Essa Abdulla Al Ghurair, Chairman of Essa Al Ghurair Investments, will lead a fireside chat Jessy El Murr to discuss his mission as a pioneering UAE food and beverage manufacturer.

This will be followed by Andrey Dvoychenkov, Managing Director, Arabian Peninsula & Pakistan, Nielseniq, presenting a keynote on new consumer trends that F&B companies expect post COVID-19. A panel discussion on ‘Preparing for the Market Reboot’ will feature Hassan Shafi, Chief Financial Officer of Al Ain Farms; Andrey Dvoychenkov; Balki Radhakrishnan, Managing Director, General Mills – Global Emerging Markets; Saud Abu Al-Shawareb, Managing Director of Dubai Industrial City; Tom Harvey, General Manager – Commercial at Spinneys; and Dr. Sami Carouba, President & CEO of Reach MEA.

Andrew Taylor President, Growth Markets- Tate & Lyle, will talk about new directions in food and drink innovation followed by a panel discussion on why innovation is the answer featuring Ahmed Bayoumi, Chief Executive Officer of Global Food Industries; Gary Brenner, Director of Markets & Corporate Development, Aleph Farms; Dominique Floch, General Manager – Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Tate & Lyle; Sandra Grenet, R&D Director at Agathia Group PJSC; and Arda Cenk Tokbas, Managing Director of HDF FZCO.

Prof. Hussein Mansour, Chairman, Food Safety Authority, Egypt, will address the gathering about ‘Understanding Food and Beverage Safety Requirements in the Emerging Markets.’ Other lightning talk sessions are by Miguel Machado Cruz, Sales Manager at Neotron SpA, part of Cotecna Group; Ashutosh Srivastava, Segment Manager for Food & Beverage at ABB; and Kate Goodman, Business Unit President, Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan at Mondelez International; Alexander Alzamora, Senior Manager – Industrial Applications at Engie Solutions; and Saahil Khan, CEM®, Business Development Manager, Energy Optimisation and Retrofit Industry – India, Middle East & Africa, Grundfos.

Women in Food is another interesting panel discussion chaired by Jessy El Murr, featuring Kate Goodman; Alia Al Mazrouei, Advisor to Chairman, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development; Lamia Fakhr, Corporate Affairs Director at Kellogg’s; and Mona Ghobashi, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs Director – Global Emerging Markets at Mars Wrigley.

Henrik Stamm, Kristensen Founder, Blendhub & Chemometric Brain, will present a keynote on how the future of food business will be localised. A panel discussion on the impact of digital disruption will be addressed by Mustafa Koita, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Koita; Sheikha Abdulla Al Nuaimi, Executive Director – Commercial Operations of Ajman Freezone Authority; Yusuf Tambawala, VP, Corporate Strategy and Development at Ghassan Aboud Group; Darsana Nair, Head of Category Planning and Activations, Gulf & New Markets, Mondelez International; Binoy George, General Manager Contract Logistics at Al Futtaim Logistics; and Shefa Alhalah, Senior Regional Manager, Middle East, Nutricia Middle East DMCC.

Visit www.futurefoodseries.com tomorrow and day after to receive first-hand live updates.