H.H. Sheikh Mohammed emphasises UAE's role as global hub for trade

Dubai Media Office

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has visited the 31st edition of Gulfood, the world’s leading food and beverage sourcing event, marking the largest edition in its history.

Gulfood 2026 runs until January 30 across more than 280,000 square metres at the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai and the Dubai World Trade Centre, featuring over 8,500 exhibitors from 195 countries and more than 1.5 million products across all segments of the global food industry.

Sheikh Mohammed toured the newly expanded Dubai Exhibition Centre, the first event to be held at the revamped venue, highlighting a milestone for Dubai’s exhibitions sector and reinforcing the emirate’s role as a global hub for trade and industry.

He highlighted the importance of innovation, advanced technologies and efficient markets in shaping the future of the food industry, adding that the UAE remains focused on building a resilient economic ecosystem that supports vital sectors and transforms challenges into opportunities for sustainable development.

During the visit, Sheikh Mohammed toured several country pavilions and was briefed on a range of food products and innovative solutions reflecting the diversity of global markets and Gulfood’s role in strengthening food trade and supply chains worldwide.

Gulfood 2026, now doubled in size and impact, provides an integrated global food ecosystem, with the $2.7 billion expansion of the Dubai Exhibition Centre reinforcing Dubai’s long-term vision for macroeconomic leadership, multilateral trade and global connectivity.

 

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