Muscat, Oman, 23 October 2007 - The National Development Company (NADEC), a leading agricultural company that is partly owned by the Saudi Government, has confirmed its participation as a major exhibitor and gold sponsor of Food Expo 2007, which will be held on December 2-4 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre in Muscat.

"The event will be an excellent opportunity for us to introduce our range of products to the Omani market," said Amir Qayyum, Sales Manager of NADEC. "This is part of our comprehensive strategy to help meet the growing food requirements in the whole Middle East as the region's population continues to grow."

NADEC was established in 1981 to develop the kingdom's agricultural resources and provide consumers with high-quality and nutritious products. The company, which is based in Riyadh, annually produces a large volume of wheat, corn, potatoes, onions and other agricultural products such as dates, apricots and peaches. These are grown from the company's own farms, which use modern agricultural techniques and the best varieties of crops.

NADEC is also known for its range of juice drinks and dairy products, which include fresh milk, cheddar cheese, fruit juices and yogurts. According to Qayyum, these are manufactured using state-of-the-art processing technologies to ensure high quality and maximum nutritional benefit to consumers. The products carry the NADEC brand and they come in highly attractive packaging, reflecting the company's commitment to high standards of operations.

In a related development, the Minister of Agriculture of Saudi Arabia, H.E. Dr. Fahd bin Abdul-Rahman bin Sulaiman Balghunaym, has recently appointed NADEC's General Manager Agriculture Eng. Salim Al Shawy as Director General of the Organic Farming Development. Eng Al Shawy was selected due to his wide experience organic farming. Under his guidance, NADEC received an Organic Certification for its extra virgin olive oil and quality dates.

Eng. Al Shawy has a huge responsibility of developing organic farming in Saudi Arabia. There has been a buzz since his appointment in this position and all the farmers are enthusiastic about the progress. Saudi Arabia has the biggest market for organic food as it has the best per capita income in the Gulf region and its people are aware of the importance of organically grown food products.

"The participation of NADEC in Food Expo 2007 clearly shows the growing interest of companies within the GCC in the vibrant food industry in Oman," said C.J. Paul, General Manager of Omanexpo LLC, the leading organiser of trade and consumers shows in the sultanate. "Their products would surely be a great and welcome addition to the choices now available to consumers here in Oman."

Paul pointed out that Food Expo 2007 will truly be an international exhibition of everything related to food products with the participation many local and foreign companies. In addition to Saudi Arabian companies like Nadec, the event will also feature exhibitors from other countries including Thailand, Singapore, Italy, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Tanzania, and the United Arab Emirates.

Food Expo 2007 will primarily focus on the following major categories: food and beverage, catering and kitchen equipment, agriculture and fisheries, hotel and restaurant supplies, food processing technologies, hypermarket and grocery equipment as well as food packaging systems.

For more information on Food Expo 2007 or for stand reservations, please contact Abdullah Beg, Food Expo project manager, at tel. no. +968-24790333, mobile no. +968-95140107, or e-mail abdullah@omanexpo.com. More information about the show is also available online at www.omanexpo.com/foodexpo.

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© Press Release 2007