Challenges concerning regional food security, ensuring sustainable food supplies, the future of the halal food industry, the role of Free Zones in facilitating food manufacturing growth will be discussed by influential food and beverage industry specialists at a summit next week in Dubai, UAE.

The Food & Beverage Industrial Investment Summit, a core feature of the inaugural Gulfood Manufacturing, will run from November 9 to 11 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The summit is a strategic investment event that will bring together overseas investors, multinational corporations, to explore economic, market and manufacturing opportunities in the show’s catchment footprint of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (Measa) region.

It will include insightful keynote presentations, multi-speaker discussions and case studies to provide attendees with a better understanding of the financial, legal, logistics, cold chain and technology benefits of locating or expanding existing operations in the region.

Tribe LohMirmand, senior vice president, Exhibitions and Events Management, DWTC, the event organiser, said: “The rapid growth in the region’s food processing industry reflects a market where food demand far outstrips supply. The issues driving the increase in regional food production – rapid population growth, food security concerns, economic diversification and booming foodservice and hospitality sectors – are not going away.

“With a superb speaker line-up of global experts, regional authorities and manufacturers with global insights, the summit is a tailored platform for food manufacturing companies of all shapes and sizes to tap into a deep well of resources and discover investment strategies that will further develop their production capabilities and regional operating knowledge.”

The first day of the summit will feature seven sessions linked to the principal topic ‘Economic and Investment Outlook for the Food Manufacturing Industry’. The keynote address will focus on policies regional governments can adopt to secure sustainable food supplies by increasing regional production and reducing the reliance on imports.

A five-person keynote panel will debate methods to drive stakeholder alignment, the drive to improve sustainable outsourced agriculture and inherent challenges relating to food imports and price volatility.

Other sessions will include ‘Transforming Halal Agro Food into an Asset Class’; ‘Home Grown Concepts Transforming the F&B Business in the UAE’; ‘Franchising for Success – Take Your Business International’; an ‘Innovation Case Study’; a keynote presentation; and a ‘Strategic View on the GCC Food & Beverage Industry’.

The summit’s second day will feature a further seven sessions linked to the theme of ‘Operation and Best Practises in Food Manufacturing,’ while the other sessions will include ‘Free Zones as the Driving Force in the Middle East’s Manufacturing Future’; a case study on ‘Innovation as an Enabler of Successful Halal Product Development’; a second case study on ‘Developing Food Factories: Food Processing Engineering and Planning Best Practises’; and a closing round-table discussion focusing on pioneering regional manufacturers. - TradeArabia News Service