Made-in-M’sia F&B products well-received at world’s famous Gulfood trade fair
LUMPUR: Malaysian exporters participated in one of the world’s largest food and beverage (F&B) trade fair, Gulfood 2024, generated RM1.49 billion in sales throughout the event held from 19 to 23 February 2024.
The event which was held at Dubai World Trade Centre saw the participation of 80 Malaysian companies led by Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Chairman of Matrade and through a country pavilion coordinated by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).
This was Matrade’s 20th participation in the 30th edition of Gulfood which attracted more than 5,000 exhibitors from 129 countries.
Among the products showcased by the Malaysian companies were ‘ready-to-eat’ meals, beverages, confectioneries, frozen food, snacks, sauce & paste, food ingredients, bakery products, palm oil-based products as well as healthy and organic foods.
During the event, Malaysian brands were exposed to over 100,000 buyers from around 190 countries. Throughout the five-day exhibition, Malaysian companies managed to meet and network with importers, distributors and procurement centres mainly from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, South Asia and Europe.
Under the Malaysia Pavilion, there were also exhibitors coordinated by other government agencies notably the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank) as well as Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS).
Participation in Gulfood 2024 proved to be instrumental in the business development of the existing as well as for new Malaysian exporters aiming to get access into the MENA region market. The event was a vibrant stage for Malaysian companies to exhibit their products and build influential connections globally.
According to Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, “The Malaysian exhibitors at Gulfood achieved remarkable sales, exceeding all previous records in our 20 appearances at this exhibition.
“This impressive performance serves as a testament to the trust and confidence that international buyers have in Malaysia’s food and beverage products.
“It is a positive sign for our export of processed food, which has seen a significant growth, reaching an export value of RM30.31 billion last year. This demonstrates the strong belief in the quality and appeal of our food products on a global scale.”
Aside from featuring various Malaysian brands at the esteemed Malaysia Pavilion, the Trade Commissioner for Matrade in Dubai, Megat Iskandar Ahmad Dassilah, disclosed that Matrade Dubai took the initiative to invite premium importers and distributors in the United Arab Emirates to establish connections with the Malaysian participants.
“Our efforts have revolved around promoting and fostering partnerships between Malaysian exporters and foreign buyers.
“We are optimistic that active involvement in this event will elevate the reputation of Malaysian brands and ultimately lead to a surge in exports of our excellent food and beverage products in the region,” Megat said.