Just over one month to go until Gulfood 2014

Gulfood, the world’s largest annual food and hospitality show, is set to open next month with its strongest global representation to date, with 120 official national pavilions set to showcase their respective country’s products and services.

Taking place from February 23 – 27, 2014 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Gulfood 2014 has been extended to five days - following a directive issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai - in order to support the level of show floor business transacted each year.

With 10 new country pavilions participating on this scale for the first time, the raft of additions represents a 100 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of new countries launching dedicated pavilions at Gulfood.

Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president of DWTC, the organiser of Gulfood said: “As the organiser of the region’s biggest consumer and trade exhibitions, including Gulfood, DWTC facilitates substantial business growth locally, regionally and internationally. In terms of visitor numbers alone, DWTC welcomed 1.85 million show attendees in 2012, 700,000 of which were high-spend international visitors - meaning the venue and its events contributed seven per cent of Dubai’s 10.16 million international visitors that year.”

“With Dubai’s recent victory as the host city for World Expo 2020 and its role as catalyst for super-growth in the UAE and broader Middle East region, particularly in the food and hospitality industries, Gulfood has never been more important for helping to foster mutually beneficial trading partnerships across the board,” she added.

Official national pavilions participating for the first time include Bahrain, the Basque County, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Georgia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Qatar, Romania and Vietnam. Dubai SME will also make its pavilion debut at Gulfood, hosting a contingent of UAE-based businesses looking to capitalise on the unrivalled exposure the show offers.

Additionally, a record 4,500 exhibitors including more than 300 show debutants will participate at Gulfood 2014 - an increase of seven per cent on last year. The record participation comes as Dubai’s position as the regional hub for hospitality, trade and tourism has been accelerated by the emirate’s confirmed hosting of the World Expo in 2020, which will further fuel market growth opportunities for the global food services industry.