First edition of Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition launches on December 6

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), the first edition of the Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition (ADIFE) is scheduled to be launched on December 6-8 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

The exhibition is expected to witness wide-scale local and international participation by major companies specialising in the food, beverage and hospitality sectors, in addition to many experts, specialists, and decision-makers in this vital industry.

Accelerating change in the food industry requires global thought leadership, global perspective and global collaboration, with ADIFE offering the ideal platform to drive this critical process.

Organised under the theme ‘Shaping the future of the food industry’, the event will also feature a wide range of activities and features that will shed light on the most important and vital topics related to food production, hospitality and food services, workshops and world championships related to this field. Some of these include the:

• World Latte Grading Battle: From Italy to the world, for the first time ever in Abu Dhabi, the final competition of the World Latte Art Grading Battle will take place exclusively at ADIFE.
• ADIFE Talks: Focusing on three main elements across three days of the show, highlighting  Food Security and Investment, Innovation in Food Production and Industry
• UAE National Coffee Championship: Promoting the culture of specialty coffee and exciting coffee competitions
• ADIFE Innovation Awards: Discover the very latest exciting innovations and market developments from around the world
• World Gourmet Show: Featuring Michelin star chefs and the best chefs in the capital delivering masterclasses, exciting competitions and demonstrations.

The exhibition will host country pavilions from Turkey, India, Brazil, Iran, Morocco, South Africa, Bulgaria, Canada, Poland, Italy, Thailand, Belarus, Lebanon and New Zealand. It will also see participation from exhibitors from Estonia, Turkmenistan, Lithuania, Latvia, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Azerbaijan.

Exhibitors at the UAE Pavilion include a number of government and semi-government entities related to the food, beverage, hospitality and logistics sector including the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, Abu Dhabi Ports, Emirates Food Industries Group, Elite Argo, Sharjah Chamber and Jarrah Honey.

Saeed Al Mansoori, executive director at Capital Events, a subsidiary of ADNEC said, “It is a key event that provides a direct platform for international companies producing and manufacturers of food, beverages and food equipment, to display their latest products and to partner with Emirati companies working in the same field. We are pleased to see so many exhibitors from difference countries which will allow participants to discover new and innovative investment opportunities in the food and agricultural industries, ensuring food security.”

Badr Al Shehhi, ADAFSA spokesperson added, “The exhibition represents an important opportunity for companies in food industries, as it provides a platform to display the latest in the field of food industries globally, and it is also an opportunity for manufacturers to meet with traders and provide a suitable environment for those wishing to invest in food activities and conclude local and international trade deals.”

ADIFE is expected to witness the signing of many contracts, deals and partnerships between a wide range of government agencies and private sector establishments, in addition to a series of meetings between buyers and providers in the various supply chains.

Main sponsors for the event are Al Dahra Agricultural Company as the Gold Sponsor, Royal Horizon as silver sponsor, Lulu as supermarket sponsor, AAAID as investment partner and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce as host sponsor. Visitors can register and attend for free, via their website.