EVENTSround up

Dubai Food Festival, UAE (28 April-7 May)

The 10th season of the Dubai Food Festival is an annual culinary celebration that promises to plate up something to suit every palate. There will be a range of activities from bespoke gourmet meals to intimate cooking showcases featuring world-famous chefs. Visit: www.visitdubai.com

EXPOCulinaire, UAE (15–17 May)

Dedicated to chefs, bakers, students and professionals, this event showcases food, drink, ingredients, equipment, services, skills and education. Visit: www.expoculinaire.com

Africa Food Manufacturing, Egypt (28–30 May)

AFM is a one-stop point for food and beverage professionals in Egypt and the wider region to find innovative ingredients, processing and packaging equipment and logistics solutions. Visit: www.africafoodmanufacturing.com

Saudi Food Expo, Saudi Arabia (05-08 June)

This annual event held at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center showcases a plethora of companies in the food and beverage sector. Visit: www.saudifoodexpo.com

Foodex, Saudi Arabia (17-20 September)

Participants from the mass distribution, retail, manufacture, and hospitality sectors will have the opportunity to source products from over 50 countries. Visit: www.foodexsaudiexpo.com

Free From Food Dubai, UAE (19-20

September)

Free From Food Dubai is an expo and business summit for the FMCG food industry. It will offer the latest in healthy food, as well as vegan, organic and free-from products.

Visit: www.dubai.freefromfoodexpo.com

Saudi Agro-Food, Saudi Arabia (23-26

October)

This four-day international trade exhibition gathers the region’s leading professionals in the agriculture and food industries.

Visit: www.saudi-agriculture.com

Gulfood Manufacturing, UAE (07-09

November)

Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre, Gulfood Manufacturing is set to unveil the next era of food manufacturing including new ingredients and advanced technologies.

Visit: www.gulfoodmanufacturing.com

The Speciality Food Festival, UAE (07-09

November)

The Speciality Food Festival is the home of fine food, exotic ingredients and artisanal discovery for buyers from across the food service, hospitality and retail sectors. Visit: www.speciality.ae

Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition (27-29 November)

Accelerating change in the food industry requires global thought leadership, global perspective and global collaboration which is offered by ADIFE. Visit: www.adife.com

Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition, UAE (27-29

November)

The inaugural edition of Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition is the world’s only dedicated B2B event for date palm fruit.

Visit: www.abudhabidatepalm.com

Kuwait

- Green Life Company launched its innovative smart agriculture project that uses Aeroponic technology for air farming. The project aims to build a more adaptable and sustainable food system by incorporating advanced food technologies to achieve sustainable food production throughout the year.

- Kuwait is on track to launch XZERO City, which will span 1,600 hectares with 30,000 residential units. The city aims to provide a net zero-carbon lifestyle for 100,000 residents and be self-sufficient, by producing the resident’s food intake on-site and harvest renewable energy locally.

Bahrain

- Earlier this year, a $12million facility was launched by Bahrain Agricultural Foods Storage and Security, which aims to produce and distribute grains locally and export them internationally.

- The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) announced that the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix 2023 is the most environmentally friendly motorsport event in history due to its special composting machines and recycling facilities. The BIC plans to expand its solar farm to further reduce energy consumption for future events.

Qatar

Qatar has achieved self-sufficiency in producing five basic types of vegetables. The goal, however, is to reach 70% of the market demand in less than a decade.

- WadiWater has developed a technology that produces potable water from humidity in the air, and its largest units are capable of producing 5,000 litres of fresh drinking water a day. The company signed an agreement with IPA Qatar that will enable it to provide innovative technologies to the agriculture industry to reduce water waste.

- Qatari-based Agrico has relied on its own research and tech to build technologically sophisticated organic farms and fisheries, enabling year-round food production. The company uses hydroponics and aquaponics to support a circular farming model that is both organic and self-sustaining.