The most sought after fine food and drink products sourced from specialist and international suppliers will feature at an upcoming event in Dubai.

The inaugural Speciality Food Festival will take place from October 31 to November 2 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“The demand for artisan food and high end tastes is huge in this region and the market continues to hold strong,” said Trixee Loh, senior vice president, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of Gulfood, the region’s largest food exhibition.

“The reputation of many companies can often hinge on the quality of their food and the variety on their menus.”

“The Speciality Food Festival offers the ideal platform for these specialist buyers, chefs and suppliers to meet, taste, sample and network,” Loh added.

“It’s great to have a speciality food event in Dubai,” said Hamideh Harizi, owner of Gourmet House, a leading importer and exporter of caviar.

“There are so many businesses which rely on the best food available and this is a city which has a reputation for attracting luxury tastes and premier customers. We’ve no doubt it’ll be the first of many more to come and we hope we’ll be one of the regulars.”

Shadi Joweihan, managing partner at Milk & Honey Providore/Trading, said: “I think the demand for fresher, healthier, more refined food is upon us and this is a great chance to open new doors and drive that market even further.”

Combined with the co-located events Sweets & Snacks Middle East, Sweet & SnackTec Middle East and The International Travel Catering Association Exhibition (ITCA Dubai), all four dedicated food industry events will run alongside each other, offering a trading, networking and cross-selling environment, a statement said.

Dubai alone has 66 luxury five star hotels, catering to an international and affluent client base. Hotels in general account for around 17 per cent of food expenditure in the UAE, with the GCC importing over $12 billion worth of agri-food products annually, the statement added.

With high per capita retail spending and over 11,000 restaurants, the UAE offers fine dining in one of the fastest growing markets in the world as the number of outlets is forecast to increase by more than 5 per cent per annum. – TradeArabia News Service