Gulfood Manufacturing 2023 highlights F&B Sector trends and innovation

The recently concluded ninth edition of the Gulfood Manufacturing 2023 in Dubai showcased the latest F&B sector trends, best practices and innovation. The event hosted more than 2,000 global manufacturers and exhibitors that showcased the latest equipment, systems and ingredients. It also hosted a Food Tech Summit where topics including best practices in supply chain and logistics, food safety and quality control were discussed. This year’s event also focused on the role of artificial intelligence, robotics and automation in making the F&B sector more efficient along with the digitalization of the F&B manufacturing sector to achieve excellence across the industry.

Gulfood Manufacturing 2o23 – Leveraging Digitization to Improve Food Safety 

During the event, it was discussed how the food and beverage industry can work together to deliver sustainable impact. This was in line with the UAE government’s initiatives that were announced in the Gulfood Manufacturing 2022 to become resilient to change by supporting the creation of sustainable food supply chains. In that regard, Dubai Municipality’s food safety specialist Bobby Krishna mentioned how Dubai is leveraging digitization to improve food safety. He emphasized the availability of data in digital format which has enabled them to predict problems in the F&B sector. The Gulfood Manufacturing event also saw workshops and tasting sessions organized by gourmet experts of niche brands and products. Similar to this, in Gulfood 2023, global F&B players displayed innovative products including fruit tea, dried ice cream, honey jam and vitamin shots. Overall, the event was able to draw the attention of visitors as well as of the hospitality industry and retailers in the Gulf region.

Gulfood Manufacturing Drives Food Manufacturing Sector 

Furthermore, the Gulfood Manufacturing event offered a unique opportunity for F&B leaders to collaborate and drive the food manufacturing sector forward. The event aims to foster learning, and engagement and present innovative products and solutions pivotal to the F&B sector growth in the UAE and the wider Gulf region. According to exhibitors, the response from the visitors was quite positive while the overall footfall was encouraging especially with regards to food processing and confectionery products and equipment. Many exhibitors were positive about generating leads from the event as well as creating brand awareness and expanding their footprint in the MENA region. 

According to rough estimates, the MENA region’s food market is valued at US$383 billion and it holds immense potential for future F&B sector growth. Likewise, the demand for the confectionery and snacks segment, bakery dairy along with systems and equipment remained particularly strong. Along similar lines, there is a strong focus among the visitors towards products that offer sustainable nutrition and ingredient innovation as they seek to learn more about market offerings. 

The UAE F&B Sector and the Future 

Despite the wider global economic slowdown and regional crisis, the UAE’s economic outlook remains steady with a GDP growth of 3.7% in 2023. In these challenging times, the Gulfood Manufacturing event showcased the competitiveness of the region to thrive. Overall, the sentiments were very positive as several F&B brands were keen on growth and business expansion in the Gulf region. 

Market Expansion – Dubai and the UAE

Research Konnection is a top market research company in the UAE specializing in F&B sector research. We can support market expansion and the launching of new F&B products, services, cafes and restaurants. Contact us hello@researchkonnection.com for F&B business setup in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the UAE.