More than 100 companies from Pakistan are participating in the Gulfood 2020 exhibition, which opened its doors on Sunday at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Ahmed Amjad Ali, Pakistan's consul general in Dubai, said that 48 companies came through Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, while over 55 private companies are directly taking part in the five-day expo.

"These big companies have been doing a lot of good business with the UAE for so many years. This year, we have customers from all over the world - Australia and the USA - who are keen of Pakistani food. Therefore, Pakistan's food exports are growing as well. F&B is one of the sectors where we can be proud of because the country has excelled in it. We are hopeful that this year also the exhibition will bear fruits and food trade with the UAE and exports from Pakistan will grow," Ali told Khaleej Times during his visit to the Pakistani pavilion at the event.

The five-day mega exhibition, which runs until Thursday, February 20, has attracted high-calibre interest from government ministers, trade delegations and national organisations who are showcasing the latest food and beverages innovations and exploring exhaustive business opportunities as the global F&B sector seeks to keep pace with changing consumer habits and spiraling spending, which now stands at more than $7.2 trillion annually. Bilateral trade between the UAE and Pakistan is almost $10 billion and food exports account for a major chunk of the South Asian country's exports. Food sector constitutes 20 per cent of Pakistan's exports to the UAE.

Ali stressed that Pakistan has a food security ministry in order to ensure local food security needs are met as well as to boost the country's exports. Similarly, the UAE has also been investing massively in different countries across the globe in food security.

The consul-general pointed out that business-to-business (B2B) meetings have been arranged of the Pakistani food traders to increase collaboration in this sector.

- waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

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