Dubai: It’s not just warehouses and cars where robots are taking over. They’re also taking over food manufacturing where companies are increasingly moving towards automation.
At Gulfood Manufacturing, which kicked off on Tuesday at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), automation was one of the key trends being discussed and showcased by exhibitors.
And driving that automation wave in the UAE are population growth and consumer demand for better, healthier and sustainable products at better prices.
“If you think the food trade is currently accounting for 11 per cent of the UAE’s GDP (gross domestic product), you’ll see that this is an enormous market that people want to tap into.
When you look at automation and things like food robotics, this is where you can produce things more quickly, more reliably, and at a higher quality. The global food robotics market is due to grow to about $2.5 billion (Dh9.18 billion) by 2022, so this is a fast-growing market,” said Mark Napier, exhibitions director at DWTC, and show director at Gulfood Manufacturing.
The fourth edition of the event brought together around 1,600 exhibitors from nearly 60 countries, with organisers expecting the event to draw about 10,000 visitors.
In a statement, organisers described the food industry as “one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing industries in the region,” and show director Napier said that exhibitors were looking at the event as a platform to grow their operations in the GCC and the Middle East.
And as new trends emerge in the food industry and consumer demands shift, manufacturers will have to address those changes to grow their market share and grow their exports.
“Consumers are looking at healthier food, healthier ingredients, we’re looking at dietary trends, and how we can purchase, as consumers, better food for lower price. So the manufacturers are always looking for things that can help them drive improvement both in their product line and in their product range, and this is why you see such things as automation,” Napier told Gulf News by phone.
In addition to automation, Gulfood Manufacturing this year will also focus on future trends in the industry, and how the introduction of Value-Added Tax from January 1 will affect the UAE market.
This year’s show also features sectors for ingredients, processing, packaging, supply chain solutions and an automation sector specifically to highlight how automation and robotics are revolutionising the industry.
