Sri Lanka participates at Gulf Food 2013 in Dubai

33 Sri Lankan companies participated at the Gulf Food 2013 in Dubai, displaying food and beverage products such as tea, spices, processed food, soft drink, biscuits, virgin coconut oil, dried fruits, herbal products etc.

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB), in collaboration with the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai, organised two country pavilions for tea and other food items. Gulf Food is the fast growing international trade fair for food and beverage sector and it has been rated as third largest food exhibition in the world and the biggest in the MENA region.

To welcome the Sri Lankan delegation, the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai organised a dinner meeting on 26 February 2013, inviting a numbers of UAE based companies and members of the Sri Lanka Business Council.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Mahinda Balasuriya, Ambassador of Sri Lanka in UAE, mentioned the importance of UAE-Sri Lanka two-way trade and economic relations, and invited the Sri Lankan private sector to play a key role with productive business plans and to enhance the two-way trade between UAE and Sri Lanka. He stated that Sri Lankan missions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will facilitate inquiries from Sri Lankan companies for market opportunities in the region.

Speaking at the occasion, Abdul Raheem, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Dubai, emphasised the importance of Sri Lanka’s participation at this exhibition. At 18th edition of Gulf Food, 4,200 companies from 110 countries took part this year. Food consumptions in UAE increased to US$ 7 billion in 2012 and expected to grow up to US$ 9 billion in 2013.

He mentioned that the active participation of Sri Lankan companies at international trade events in Dubai, which is the transit trading hub and third largest re-exporter in the world, would find markets for Sri Lankan products not only in the Gulf region, but also in the North Africa and the EU markets.

Post 2010, the Dubai economy has been slowly recovering, and hospitality, hotel, tourism industry and consumer household goods are fast growing sectors in the UAE, allowing Sri Lankan companies to explore more market opportunities in the UAE at Gulf Food 2013, Abdul Raheem added.

Indu Alahapperuma, Deputy Director of EDB, Ranjith Abeykoon, Minister (Tea Promotion) of the Consulate and Chandima Perera, Vice President of John Keells Holdings, also spoke on this occasion.

Sri Lankan participants at Gulf Food 2013 expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements made by the Sri Lankan authorities and the positive response received at Gulf Food 2013.

Gulf Food 2013, a four-day event, was inaugurated by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Finance Minister of UAE on 25 February, and concluded on 28 February 2013.