Foodex Saudi 2014 opens in Jeddah, on a developing market

The second edition of Foodex Saudi was inaugurated Monday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and has attracted more than 400 brands from over 30 countries.

The event is projected to receive over 15,000 visitors and buyers from Saudi Arabia and the GCC, in three days, November 17–20.

Organized by Reed Sunaidi Exhibitions and taking place at the Jeddah Centre for Forums, under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Catering to every sector in the F&B industry, Foodex Saudi offered a wide range of exhibitor profiles and products, including confectionary and baked goods, organic and health foods, seafood, poultry, game and meat, frozen foods and ready to eat, and food technology and packaging.

“The Saudi food sector is expected to grow by 55.3 per cent over the next few years, reaching USD 70 billion per annum. Being the largest consumer in the Gulf, the Kingdom’s food and agricultural commodities account for 15 per cent, or USD 17.5 billion, of its imports, with agricultural imports projected to grow by as much as 76 per cent by 2016. The exhibition provides a platform for local and international businesses to come together and further develop Saudi Arabia’s F&B industry,” said Simon Blazeby, Head of Exhibitions at Reed Sunaidi.

The opening day also marked the kick-off of the three day Saudi Food Forum, with the keynote address being delivered by the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, H.E. Eng. Jaber Mohamed Al Shehri. Focusing on the responsible development of the Kingdom’s USD 70 billion F&B industry, the topics to be covered during the three days in session include food security and safety, import and export, supply chain and logistics, Halal food standards, and food marketing.

A new addition to the agenda this year, and taking place on days 2 – 4 of the exhibition, the Saudi Chef Competition encourages local chefs to compete on a spectrum of culinary talents, with the winners being determined by an international panel of industry professionals.