New companies take part in Oman food, hospitality expo
Times News Service
MUSCAT: New Omani companies along with a new country, Belarus, participated in Oman’s Food and Hospitality Expo yesterday.
The Food & Hospitality Oman Exhibition was opened at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre today under the patronage of Ahmed bin Nasser Al Mahrizi, Minister of Tourism.
Regarding the expo, Eugniy Vvedensky, Director of the Exhibition Unitary Enterprise at Belarus’ Chamber of Commerce, said, “For us this is a breakthrough, as there hasn’t been a substantial participation of Belarus in trade fairs in Oman, and this is why our Ambassador to Cairo will make an appearance at the event. We invited businesses to participate in the expo and are glad that 6 businesses, each of them leaders in their fields of foodstuffs, decided to participate.”
Belarus is not the only new participant in the expo, as several new Omani companies made an appearance.
Faiq Saif Al Jabri, owner of alJabri Foodstuffs, added, “We are the first company to attempt to market smoked fish in Oman. We’re hoping to attract retailers and supermarkets to become major suppliers in the future.”
Also, Alexandros Mendorinos of Blue Waters, an affiliate of Oman Aquaculture Development Company, said, “Blue Waters is the first commercial scale aquaculture project in Oman that’s actually producing. We’ve had almost 350 tonnes of top quality production in the past three months. This work is being done mainly by Omanis and the project is backed by the government.”
The expo features special attractions, including a three-tier cake competition, a barista competition, and a burger competition.
Regarding their participation, Hussein Daboush, General Manager of al Jabal group said, “Burgers are the new shwarmas in Oman, so we are excited to see this competition, where chefs can test their skills to make the best burgers.
Also, Afshin Mohammadi, GM of Al Rufoof Hotel Supplies and Trading, noted, “Omanis are sometimes hesitant to work as baristas, so we wanted to have a competition that showcases the skills and artistry in the job, especially since we’re the distributers of Illycaffe.”
As for the cake competition, Abdullah al Hashmi of the Oman Chef’s Guild, said, “This cake competition is oriented at showcasing the chef’s skills. This is something designed to get your name out there for opportunities in the future.”