Everything you need to know about Gulfood as Covid hammers the F&B sector

Everything you need to know about Gulfood as Covid hammers the F&B sector

The region's food and beverage industry has been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, with initial lockdowns forcing temporary closures and even the joy of reopening tempered by a variety of restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.

Gulfood, returns to the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) for its 26th edition next week, with industry professionals recognising its importance in reinvigorating global connections and making up for missed opportunities as the world's first in-person sourcing event for the global F&B sector in almost a year.

Here Arabian Business talks exclusively with Mark Napier, show director, Gulfood, to find out what exhibitors and attendees can expect from this year's event.

Gulfood 2021 runs across 20 exhibition halls at DWTC from February 21-25.

Mark Napier, show director, Gulfood

How important is this show to the industry at large?

Gulfood is a Dubai-born global food industry power brand that expertly links unrivalled trade enablement potential with extensive networking and knowledge-sharing platforms. As the world's safest and most competitive global sourcing hub, Gulfood's 34-year history has facilitated food industry trade equating to countless billions of dirhams, and connected food sourcing professionals from hundreds of new and established markets. Gulfood's strategic importance to the global industry cannot be underestimated.

With industry professionals