The second edition of Foodex Saudi is getting underway in Jeddah on Monday (November 17), with both local and international exhibitors set to get exposure to businesses and consumers.

Taking place at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events until November 20, the event, organised by Reed Sunaidi Exhibitions, is the largest food and beverage exhibition in the Kingdom.

With Saudi Arabia accounting for 60% of food consumption and 74.1% of production in the GCC, the event will bring together stakeholders from across the industry,

Reed Sunaidi head of exhibitions Simon Blazeby said: “Foodex Saudi 2014 provides an excellent platform for matching the needs of local F&B stakeholders with those of the international, or even local or regional, exhibitors.

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“The Hosted Buyer Program, for example, strives to match the requirements of various decision makers and those of the exhibitors, allowing the parties to meet, network and establish business relationships. In 2013, with the help of this initiative, we were able to facilitate 134 productive connections.

“With 19 sectors being represented—fruits and vegetable, seafood, poultry and game, frozen products, health foods, and technology and packaging to name just a few—undoubtedly the KSA market holds great potential for international F&B companies.”

In addition to the exhibition, Foodex will aso host the Saudi Food Forum, which will see key players from the industry debate and discuss issues that are pertinent to the Kingdom’s F&B sector, including food security and safety, import and export, supply chain and logistics, Halal food standards, and food marketing.

The forum is being organised in collaboration with the Halal Development Council and under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture. This year’s theme centres on the ‘Responsible Development of Saudi Arabia’s $70 billion Food and Beverage Industry’.

Deputy Minister for Agriculture H.E. Eng. Jaber Mohamed Al Shehri will deliver a keynote address, while there will also be speakers from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), the King Abdullah Initiative for Agricultural Investment Abroad, Al-Dahra Agriculture, World Association of Chefs Societies, Halal Standards Institute of Thailand, King Abdulaziz University – Tourism Institute (KAUTI) and Carrefour Supermarkets.

“Over the course of three days, the Saudi Food Forum was attended by 125 delegates and focused on 18 topics that are key to the advancement of the Saudi F&B sector,” added Blazeby.

“Going forward, it will be interesting to note the outcomes that these opinions and decisions will have on influencing the direction of the industry, both in the short and long term.”

Foodex is open to business and trade visitors from within the industry. For more information, visit www.foodexsaudi.com.