As part of its overarching strategy to promote Qatari products across regional and global markets, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) showcased 20 Qatari food and beverage sector companies at Gulfood 2017, from 26 February to 2 March, at Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Through the support of its export program, ‘Tasdeer’, QDB showcased the local manufacturers at the nation’s designated marquee.

This year’s Gulfood exhibition – tipped as “the world’s largest annual food event serving one of the fastest growing sectors on the planet” – promoted operators in an industry that is valued at more than USD $5 trillion globally, according to estimates. The expo spanned a course of five days and attracted key businessmen, decision-makers and investors in the agri-food industry from across the world.

This year, the 20 Qatari companies participating at Gulfood displayed a variety of their best products, including: dairy items, dates, pasta and flour-based items, bakery goods, confectionary products, seafood, poultry, processed foods, pasta, and rigid packaging as well as olive oil, natural juices and mineral water. The local companies shortlisted to promote the nation’s locally develop products included: Agrico Agriculture Development Co., Albina Snacks, Al-Qaseem Dates, Al Raheeq Juice Factory, Al Sulaiteen Agricultural & Industrial Complex (SAIC), Azba Farm for Chicken & Quail Birds, Chem-Tech International Factory, Colosseum Doha W.L.L., Dandy Company Limited, Gulf Water Plant, Munah Foodstuff Factory, National Food Company, Ocean Fish, Qatar Flour Mills, Qatar Food Industries, Qatar Food Factories Co., Qatar Meat Production Co., Qatar Tunisian Food Company, Raha Bakers and United Mineral Water Company.

Commenting on the development agency’s participation, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), QDB, Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al-Khalifa said: "Qatari companies operating in the food and beverage sector have made important strides to improve on both scales of productivity as well as quality. After tremendous successes in our local market, it is time for our local companies to proceed towards new horizons and expand into the regional and international markets. To this end, we, at QDB, can help with through the support of the export arm, Tasdeer, which we launched in 2011. Through our participation in reputable and prestigious international exhibitions – like Gulfood 2017 – we aim to help our local manufacturers achieve their goals and overcome the barriers-to-entry new entrants typically face in markets abroad."

Executive Director, Tasdeer, Hassan Khalifa al-Mansoori said: "Through Tasdeer – our export program – we have set out to achieve the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 and contribute to the diversification of our national income sources. The empowerment of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is the lynchpin of that strategy, and to this end, we provide them with specialized advisory services, financial assistance, administrative and marketing support as well as access to international exhibitions. Through our participation at this year’s Gulfood expo, we aim to open the doors of international trade for 20 local companies, so that they may enter new markets and achieve further growth. We are confident in the success of Qatari products and their ability to compete on a global level of excellence.”

QDB’s participation at Gulfood comes as the latest in a series of international trade fairs in which Tasdeer has promoted local companies. In the recent past, the development agency’s export program promoted 10 Qatari SMEs at Middle East Electricity (MEE) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, during February as well as sponsored the participation of local tech entrepreneurs at the 36^th GITEX Technology Week exhibition. Upcoming Tasdeer events include Big 5 Saudi (Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), an expo that focuses on the construction industry, which will be held at Jeddah Center for Forum and Events from 27 – 30 March 2017.

Gulfood 2017, the 22nd edition of the world’s largest food and beverage trade platform, saw the attendance of up to 90,000 food professionals from 150 countries as well as the participation of approximately 5,000 exhibitors from 120 countries this year.

Through its Tasdeer export program, QDB aims to strengthen the presence of Qatari companies on prestigious global platforms, linking Qatari specialists to international experts across the world’s production industries. Most notably, QDB was the sole development agency nominated from amongst the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the 2016 Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Award, under the category of the best development agency in a developing country, in Marrakech, Morocco.

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