The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the supervisory team for promoting Omani products “OPEX”, has commenced its participation in the 31st edition of Gulfood 2026, one of the world’s largest food and beverage trade events. Held from 26 to 30 January, this year’s event takes place for the first time across two locations—the Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai, United Arab Emirates—featuring participation from 195 countries and more than 8,500 exhibitors and brands.

Khalid Al Salehi, Director General of Marketing and Commercial Affairs at the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates “Madayn”, stated that, in response to the growing demand from Omani companies and factories to participate in Gulfood 2026, the OPEX team has significantly expanded the Sultanate of Oman’s presence this year, particularly at the Expo City Dubai venue. The Sultanate’s pavilion has doubled in size to over 330 sqm with 25 participating bodies, marking a new record for Oman’s pavilion size at the exhibition.

Al Salehi added that with the Sultanate’s participation in the 31st edition of Gulfood, Madayn is focusing on attracting and localising foreign investments through hosting an event titled ‘From Factory to Fork: Shaping the Future of Food Industry’. “The event will focus on investing in the food industries by discussing opportunities for growth and expansion in regional and global markets, as well as supply chains and industrial integration by enhancing efficiency from production to the end consumer,” he pointed out.

Additionally, the participating Omani SMEs at the Sultanate’s pavilion aim to benefit from the newly introduced startup platform at Gulfood by exploring the insights of over 250 global innovators and discovering breakthroughs in the food supply chain.

Al Salehi added, “Madayn’s continued participation in Gulfood reflects its firm belief in the exhibition’s importance as a global platform that contributes to promoting Omani products and exploring new markets. The exhibition provides an opportunity to showcase the high quality of Omani products to a wide audience, joining more than one million products presented by over 8,500 exhibitors from around the world. This is also an opportunity to highlight the growing demand for Omani products, driven by their quality and competitiveness in local and international markets over recent years.”

Al Salehi noted that this year, a number of Omani companies and factories operating in the food manufacturing sector are participating under the Sultanate of Oman’s pavilion, with the aim of expanding their international presence, increasing market share, and supporting the growth of business activities. The participation provides an opportunity for the companies to spotlight their products and production technologies, explore industry developments, and pursue partnerships and agreements that support international expansion.