The inaugural Gulfood Manufacturing was opened today by Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development, in the presence of His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), His Excellency Abdul Rahman Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and various other leading UAE business chiefs and VVIPs.

Running until Tuesday 11th November, Gulfood Manufacturing is the largest dedicated food processing trade event in the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia (MEASA) and features a compelling three-day programme of sector-specific exhibitions, ministerial summits and market-shaping conferences covering the spectrum of the global food production industry.

Split into three segment-specific sectors - Food Logistics Middle East, ProPack Middle East and Ingredients Middle East - the first edition of Gulfood Manufacturing has drawn more than 1,100 international machinery, equipment, product and service suppliers from 52 countries to DWTC.

Gulfood Manufacturing has been conceived to enable large multinational food producers to explore MEASA expansion avenues and empower regional food manufacturers by providing a one-stop-shop to source the latest ingredients, processing machinery, packaging equipment and logistics, warehousing and cold chain solutions to replace and upgrade production line equipment and enable faster, cheaper and cost-effective production of safer and more reliable products.

With 24 official country pavilions spread across the show-floor, Gulfood Manufacturing will also roll-out the global food industrys largest-ever Hosted Buyer Programme, a mammoth initiative designed to highlight the regions rapidly expanding F&B manufacturing and production infrastructure to influential buyers from countries including Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Egypt, Turkey, South Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Iran and Nigeria amongst others.

Gulfood Manufacturing will also host the two-day Food & Beverage Industrial Investment Summit a strategic investment event bringing together overseas investors and multinational corporations to explore economic, market and manufacturing opportunities across MEASA, the shows catchment footprint. The Summit aims to give attendees and delegates a better understanding of the financial, legal, logistics, cold chain and technology benefits of locating or expanding existing operations in the region. A specialist two-day Bakery Innovations Summit presented by Knowledge Partner, Bakery Initiatives of the Netherlands, will also run during the show, as will the Food Factory of the Future a unique showcase of cutting-edge food manufacturing technologies presented by Germanys United Food Technology (UFT).

Meanwhile, the Speciality Food Festival, SEAFEX, and Sweets and Snacks Middle East - DWTCs annual trio of niche food shows and the co-located World of Perishables Dubai 2014 and Dubai Municipalitys Dubai International Food Safety Conference also opened today.

The opening day of Gulfood Manufacturing has underlined the intense international demand for a dedicated sector-specific platform to serve the regions developing food processing and manufacturing sphere, said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice-President, Events & Exhibitions Department, DWTC. This weeks holistic food industry offering at Dubai World Trade Centre will provide global visitors from across the food trade with multiple platforms to learn about, experience and invest in the latest international ingredients, equipment and business improvement tools they need to secure sustainable productivity, profitability and business growth.

Gulfood Manufacturing, Sweets and Snacks Middle East, The Speciality Food Festival and SEAFEX are open between 10am-6pm from 9-10 November and 10am-5pm on 11 November 2014 at DWTC. Visitor attendance is free of charge but entry is for trade and business professionals only. General public and persons under the age of 21 will not be permitted entry. Registration is available at the show upon proof of trade status.