Abu Dhabi: More than Dh500 million in deals is expected at this year’s SIAL Middle Eastern Food Exhibition, which opened on Monday in Abu Dhabi, according to the event’s organisers.
This year’s show, poised to be the largest it’s ever been with 27 international pavilions participating, will also see the launch of the OnBoard Catering event during the exhibition. With the global in-flight catering market to be worth $19 billion (Dh69.78b) by 2018, officials at SIAL have stated that the impact of business deals made during SIAL will be “tangible”.
“The GCC is leading the world when it comes to aviation sector expansion and innovation and with passenger volumes continuing to rise, supported by regional carrier fleet expansion and ambitious network programmes. This is fuelling an ever-increasing demand for on-board catering services,” said Mohammad Jalal Al Raisi, Director of Communication and Community Service at the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) and Chairman of the SIAL Middle East organising committee.
The three-day event is running alongside the Emirates International Date Palm Festival under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of ADFCA.
“Millions of passengers will have an improved experience after some of the UAE airlines sign a deal with some of the best catering companies worldwide. Moreover, SIAL will give businesses a chance to see some of the best and unique practices in the food manufacturing, producing, cooking and even packaging industry,” he told Gulf News.
Also willing to get on board airlines are the UAE farmers who are responsible for 16 per cent of the vegetable market share. They are attempting to do so by pitching their vegetables as national produce for national transportation, the Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre revealed.
“The UAE grows around 40 types of vegetables that are available in supermarkets across the country. Since our establishment five years ago we have worked on changing some of the more traditional mentalities that UAE farmers had into that of a businessman or an investor. We are trying to make farming a profitable profession by making deals with hypermarkets to provide farmers with a minimum guarantee contract that insures that they receive a stable income all year round,” said Ali Al Marzouqi, Planning and Development Division Director of the Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre.
By 2015, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha international airports will have a combined annual capacity of 190 million passengers.
Al Raisi also revealed that after participating in SIAL, many companies have opened branches in the UAE. “We made sure that around 60 per cent of the businesses taking part this year were first-timers in the UAE. Through SIAL, we have seen that some companies actually branched out into the country thereby really making a positive impact on the UAE’s economy,” he said. SIAL started in 2010 with 300 participating companies and now has 1,000. The exhibition runs until November 26 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), opening at 10am daily.
