Gulfood 2021 – Focus on innovating F&B industry in UAE

Gulfood 2021 – Focus on innovating F&B industry in UAE

Gulfood 2021, the world’s largest Food and Beverage (F&B) event kickstarted in Dubai a few days back. The 25th edition of Gulfood 2021 attracted over 2,500 companies across 85 countries, including some of the major brands in the F&B industry. The primary motive of the event was to present the main market trends in the F&B industry and to highlight new innovations, consumer behaviour patterns, and revive communication links between thousands of key players in the industry.

The Gulfood 2021 united some of the world’s top chefs, food scientists, industry innovators and even government officials to discuss the future of food. It will provide key focus points for the government in the future of F&B industry. Some of the major topics in the discussion are healthier food options; sustainability; marketing; food’s relationship to tourism and retail; and the emergence of new technologies set to boost the industry.

Food & Beverage Industry Market Potential – Dubai & UAE

With Dubai being one of the first city to control and open up during the COVID19 pandemic and its efforts in cementing its position as a strategic re-export hub in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, the F&B sector is expected to witness a further growth in the years to come. In addition, the overall expenditure on F&B products in the UAE is estimated to increase by 7% on an annual basis from AED 136 billion (USD 37 billion) in 2020 to AED 150 billion (USD 41 billion) by the end of 2025.

Major Trends – Food & Beverage Operations in UAE

As the UAE and the region recovers from the pandemic, it has significantly changed the dynamics of UAE’s F&B sector, particularly of Dubai. One of the major trends witnessed since the pandemic is the increase in food delivery services such as Talabat, Zomato and Careem in UAE. They gained immense popularity during the pandemic where deliveries grew as a result of health and safety precautions. The food delivery service providers are also innovating their business model, to better serve the F&B operators. Careem, changed its commission-based model to monthly subscriptions, which has seen an increasing reception for the same.

The F&B operators are also increasingly moving to shared cloud kitchens as compared to the traditional on-site ones, and are now looking towards managed kitchens. Facilities in which both cooking, and delivery are fully outsourced will allow businesses to focus more on brand, concept, and consumer demands while eliminating the need to spend significant sums on allocation decisions.

Food & Beverage Business Investment Opportunities in Dubai & UAE

Despite a global economic slowdown because of the pandemic, the UAE continues to be one of the fastest-growing F&B sectors in the world. As more people in the region get to learn about the variety of food and beverage through an event like Gulfood, the show is bound to continue attracting thousands of different F&B enthusiasts around the globe every year, solidifying Dubai and the UAE as a major F&B destination across the globe.

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