Fifteen Irish food and drink companies join Bord Bia in Dubai this week for Gulfood, the world’s largest food and hospitality trade show. The five-day event expects to attract over  90,000 food buyers from 156 countries around the world. Last year, Irish food and drink exports to the Middle East were valued at €385m, up by 40% since 2012.

Since 2010, Bord Bia Marketing Fellowship graduates have been located in the UAE working on behalf of Irish food companies to develop new business and in 2014 Bord Bia opened an office in Dubai.

Michael Hussey, Bord Bia's manager in Dubai, commented: “Ireland has the potential to become a significant supplier to the Middle East region. The population has grown by 56% increase in one decade and will exceed 50 million people by 2020. Our focus at Gulfood will be to position Ireland as a sustainable supply solution to current and potential customers.”

While dairy and dairy ingredients represent the vast majority of Ireland’s food exports to the Middle East, a wide range of Irish food products are sold in the Gulf region including beef, farmhouse cheeses, poultry, eggs, oysters, salmon, bakery, confectionery, herbs, tea, relishes, preserves, ice-cream, crisps and potatoes.

Irish Companies At Gulfood 2016

+ Ashbourne Meat Processors

In Association with

+ Butlers Chocolates

+ CP Ingredients

+ Dairygold Food Ingredients

+ Dawn Farm Foods

+ Glanbia Consumer Foods

+ Glenstall Foods

+ Green Isle Foods – Goodfellas

+ Java Republic

+ Jelly Bean Factory

+ John Stone Fine Foods

+ Oliver Carty

+ Ornua

+ Pan Euro Foods

+ The Nest Box Egg Company

Photo: Pat Hennessy (left), Irish Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Sile Sweeney of distributor Pan Euro Foods and Bord Bia’s Michael Hussey