WOP Dubai &, EUROFRUIT Congress position Middle East as key platform for fresh produce

World of Perishables (WOP DUBAI), the Middle East’s only dedicated trade fair for fruits and vegetables, will partner the Eurofruit Congress Middle East, which will cover key trends and developments for the fresh produce market in the region. The Eurofruit Congress Middle East, organised by Eurofruit Magazine, will take place on 24-25 September 2011 at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, followed by WOP DUBAI on 26-28 September 2011 at the Dubai Airport Expo. The back-to-back events have positioned the Middle East as a fast-growing market for quality fresh fruits and vegetables from all over the world. Both events create an exclusive, combined platform for professionals to exchange best practices, network and create business.

The importance of WOP DUBAI and the Eurofruit Congress is to highlight the steady growth of the fruit and vegetable industry in the region. Dubai itself has seen a 16 per cent growth in fresh fruit imports and a 20 per cent growth in fresh vegetable imports from 2008 to 2010. Dubai has also proved to be the re-export centre for the region for markets such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.

Tarek Sibai, project manager for planetfair, the organisers of WOP DUBAI said, “Dubai is at the centre of this dynamic market of more than 250m consumers and is the business hub for the Middle East region as a whole. We are happy to be partnered with the Eurofruit Congress Middle East because this conference and WOB DUBAI focus on the same industry, so we compliment each other. While WOP DUBAI is positioned as a platform for the perishables and plant industries to connect suppliers and service providers from across the globe, this conference with Eurofruit will tackle issues and trends for delegates to improve their business and keep them one step ahead of the game. Both events are vital for the growth of the industry in this region.”
The Eurofruit Congress Middle East will cover a range of topics, including ‘Retail spotlight: The final link in the chain’, ‘New sources, new opportunities’, ‘Food preservation in the desert’, ‘Sustainability issue drives innovation’ and ‘Shifting dynamics in the Gulf.’ Key companies speaking at the conference will include All Lemon (Argentina), Evrosad (Slovenia), Trade Waves (Egypt), AMFI (Lebanon) and Mint (Spain). Besides hearing from these industry experts, delegates will have ample networking opportunities to make quality new contacts within the region and beyond.

Sibai added, “The Eurofruit Congress is a great way to lead into WOP DUBAI, which has strengthened Dubai as an important destination and worldwide trading centre for fruits and vegetables. We had over 3,500 visitors last year and are expecting a 25 per cent increase in visitors and also a 35 per cent increase in floor space at the Dubai Airport Expo.”

WOP DUBAI, held under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai Municipality, is the Middle East’s only dedicated trade fair for fruit and vegetables and is growing for the third consecutive year. WOP DUBAI 2010 brought more than 130 companies from 17 countries representing fresh products, goods safety, technical equipment, transport, trade and services. The show also had eight country pavilions from France, China, Lebanon, Rwanda, Egypt, Kenya, Turkey and Italy. WOP DUBAI is organised by planetfair Dubai LLC and Messe Essen GmbH in cooperation with Dubai Municipality and Dubai Central Fruit and Vegetable Market, the Middle East’s biggest market for import and export.

For more information on the Eurofruit Congress Middle East and registration, please visit www.eurofruitcongress.com/me.

For more information on WOP DUBAI and registration, please visit www.wop-dubai.com.