Gulfood to host 130 French companies this year

France will set a new record this year for the number of French companies exhibiting at Gulfood. 

Nearly 130 French exhibitors, 33% more than last year, will exhibit on the country's national pavillions covering a surface of 1700 m².

As many as 75 companies will attend the French pavilion dedicated to food, beverages and ingredients while 54 will attend the French Pavilion dedicated to equipment and process.

According to Christelle Labernède, head of the Agribusiness Department - Ubifrance UAE & Qatar: “Gulfood for French companies is essential to develop their business in the region. We are inundated with requests from French companies wanting to participate in this important exhibition and now we can bring more French companies to satisfy the huge market demand for high quality produce and equipment.

"Since its creation, France has not missed a single edition of Gulfood and over the years the French presence has kept growing. As a consequence, Gulfood is already the world’s largest annual food and hospitality event and this additional capacity means this is now the largest French pavilion at any food event worldwide," he added.

Furthermore, for the first time since the embargo ended, French bovine meat producers, represented by the French Association for Exports of meat GEF, are taking part at Gulfood.

Visitors can taste French beef cooked live by the famous chef Marc de Passorio on the stand. Chef de Passorio is three toques Gault & Millau 2010, a member of the international White Toques, of Auguste Escoffier, Maître Restaurateur.

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Both agriculture and the agrifood industry are huge assets of the French economy, making France one of the world's leading producers and exporters of food and beverages.

The agrifood sector in France is the leading industrial sector with a €148bn turnover. It accounts for 1.7% of French GDP and 7% of total French exports.

France is also the fifth largest exporter of equipment for the food industry, and is the fourth supplier of the UAE. In 2011, French exports of food equipment in the UAE increased by 25%.

Also, the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in the UAE organised the second edition of 'So French So Tasty' to promote France’s food-and-drink sector and gastronomy, in conjunction with the French pavilion held at the Speciality Food Festival last November. We will renew our exclusive event in 2013.