Horticulture Innovation Australia, Meat & Livestock Australia, Dairy Australia, and the State Government of Victoria in partnership with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) hosted the first Taste Australia roadshow in the region.
In recent years, the momentum around premium Australian F&B has been increasing in the MENA region due to demand factors and the positioning of Australian products in the market.
With un-spoilt landscapes and a reputation for strict quality, and traceability measures, Australia produces a diverse range of food.
With a focus on promoting continued successful bilateral trade, cultural ties that exist between Australia and Saudi Arabia, and the increasing demand for premium Australian food and beverage, Taste Australia will engage with the F&B community to offer bespoke programmes for food service and hospitality industries, and to key entities including flight catering executives from regional airlines, senior executive chefs, and industry opinion leaders, addressing long term market strategies through a series of events.
The Middle East region has been an important export market for the Australian dairy industry. In 2016/17, Australia exported over 41,000 tonnes of dairy products to the region, worth nearly AUD$159 million (US$120 million). UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have been the top three importing countries for Australia’s safe and quality dairy products.
The UAE is especially important for Australia’s agriculture and horticulture produce exports, whilst Dubai in particular, is used as a trans-shipment point for other Middle Eastern markets and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.
Additionally, the UAE receives the majority of Australia’s fruit and tree nut exports to the region, accounting for almost 68% of fruit exports and around 49% of tree nut exports. The value of Australia’s fruit exports to the UAE in 2016-17 was AUD$59.4 million (mainly grapes, citrus, stone fruit and melons) while the value of tree nut exports (mainly almonds and some macadamia exports) was AUD$18.1 million.
The event took place at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Delegates from the partnering organisations delivering premium produce to the region were present, in addition to the Australian Ambassador to the UAE, H.E. Mr Arthur Spyrou, and H.E. Mr Gerard Seeber, Australian Consul General – Dubai & Senior Trade Commissioner to the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.
The programme in Dubai included a showcase of Australia’s finest F&B displayed across a variety of live interactive stations during a networking reception. The reception was followed by dinner, which was prepared using Australian produce and featured a culinary panel session with key industry representatives shedding light on the importance of the UAE for Australia’s agriculture and horticulture exports industry.
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