His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, today officially opened Gulfood 2016-- the 21st edition of the world's largest yearly food and hospitality trade convention - at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing and the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, Minister Alexander Tkachev of the Russian Federation's Ministry of Agriculture and a host of ministers, ambassadors and dignitaries from the UAE, GCC and around the globe.

Running up until Thursday night (25 February), Gulfood is anticipated to draw a record trade attendance of more than 85,000 visitors from over 170 countries, consisting of international presidents, ministers, government officials and national trade associations from 5 continents.

The program includes over 5,000 companies from 120 countries, 117 trade and market pavilions and spans in excess of 1.29 million square feet of exhibit space consisting of 3 brand-new DWTC halls - Za'abeel 4, 5 and 6-- and two purpose-built, momentary structures.

"As a strategic financial investment platform, Gulfood links the world's leading food and hospitality industry companies and brands, national policy-makers and ingenious thought-leaders," stated Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, DWTC, organiser of Gulfood. "The program facilitates multi-million dollar deals as the international food industry fulfills, networks, sources new products and trades out of Dubai-- now among the world's most popular global trading hubs. Gulfood is where the big deals are made, company to company and country to country.".

With GCC food imports currently worth $53.1 billion according to the Economist Intelligence Device, Gulfood's global trading status has attracted the program's greatest tally of national and food export market groups which, at 117, is 5 more than last year. These pavilions consist of newbie representation from Russia, Costa Rica, Belarus, Mauritius and New Zealand returning after a six-year break.

This year's broadened exhibitor line-up-- getting involved by means of nationwide and trade association structures or on devoted business stands - consists of completed food manufacturers, bulk commodity wholesalers, suppliers and exporters, along with the program's largest-ever collection of hospitality equipment suppliers.

Gulfood 2016 likewise features the Halal World Food show-within-a-show and the world's greatest, yearly Halal food sourcing trade event. This year Halal World Food includes over 800 Halal food suppliers-- 15 % up on last year-- vying for trade in a sector predicted to be worth US$ 2.537 trillion by 2019 according to the most recent International Islamic Economy Report.

"For the retail, foodservice, catering and hospitality industries, Gulfood presents an unbelievable opportunity to source thousands of new items, innovations in health and unique diet plan, and an even wider range of ethnic and speciality foods-- we expect significant interest in Halal foodstuff this year as Dubai advances its status as an Islamic economy center," added LohMirmand.

Occurring over the very first 3 days of the show, Gulfood's revamped conference programme opened with today's F&B Business Forum at DWTC where specialists discussed essential issues forming business performance within the area's broadening F&B sector.

The opening day's sessions ended with The Development Hub, sponsored by British Airways and Avios, where selected entrepreneurs pitched game-changing business concepts to an expert evaluating panel in a quote to walk away with start-up investment capital. The winning submission from 5 finalists-- including a food safe disinfectant by CleanLAB, an EcoBurner from Innovate General Trading, a Culture Quality Program by TSI Quality Solutions, Area Food by the Canadian University Dubai, and enhanced sustainability in energy intensity, packaging approaches and product quality by The Nest Box Egg Business Ltd - is to be revealed at the Gulfood Awards evening on Sunday 21 February.

On Monday, February 22nd the conference program transfers to the luxury Conrad Dubai hotel for the Gulfood Halal Online forum supported by the Dubai Islamic Economy Advancement Centre and devoted sessions committed to food science and production, prior to ending with sessions on global food security and public health in the food market on February 23rd.

Gulfood will also host hundreds of show-floor culinary demos at the yearly Emirates Culinary Guild International Salon Culinaire-- a showcase of the area's finest cooking talent and proficiency. One of Gulfood's indisputable draws for the regions' top expert chefs, pastry chefs, cooks and bakers, this year's Salon sees more than 1,300 professional chefs evaluated by a panel of 25 distinguished specialists, mandated by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) to judge culinary occasions around the world.

As part of this year's Salon Culinaire, 3 major USA trade bodies - the USA's Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC), the Meat Export Federation and the Dairy Export Council - have actually teamed up for a 'Tastes of the USA' culinary demo led by Louisiana-born Joe Truex, executive chef at Dubai Mall's exquisite eatery Pi. Dubai. Today's opening demo was attended by Alexis Taylor, the Deputy Undersecretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
"The 'Taste of the USA' activity at Gulfood is a testament to the success of public-private collaborations between the USDA and U.S. farming trade associations such as the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, the United States Dairy Export Council and the U.S. Meat Export Federation," said Taylor. "Activities like this show that high quality U.S. farming exports are available to dine on worldwide.".