Everyone wants a slice of Italian food in the UAE
dubai — With over 180 companies showcasing products right from olive oil and balsamic vinegar to pasta and confectionery, Italy has a strong presence at Gulfood 2018.
In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Liborio Stellino, Ambassador of Italy to the UAE, shares that the exhibition continues to be a major event for the Italian agro-food industry and there has always been a massive presence of Italian companies across all sectors.
“The UAE market for the Italian agro-food sector stands at more than €300 million,” says Stellino. “Inside this value, there are interesting dynamics and we have observed a tremendous increase in the demand for healthy products such as gluten-free, organic,
The UAE market for the Italian agro-food sector stands at more than €300 million Liborio Stellino, Ambassador of Italy to the UAE
etc. This highlights that consumers in this market have high awareness. We have invited companies offering these niche products to increase their presence here. Many exhibitors have been participating at the show for the past 10 years and highlighted that they return every year to build contacts not only for export to the UAE but also for export to Africa and the Far East. This is an added value and makes Gulfood the perfect platform.”
According to the Ambassador, Italy and the UAE share a remarkable relationship and trade statistics highlight that Italy exports up to €5 billion worth of products to the UAE, a country that has a population of around 9 million people.
“The capacity of absorption of this market is really high and the exchange at all levels is great as there is mutual understanding and trust. The sense of family is very similar between the two countries and there are cultural and sociological affinities that make the relationship between the two countries easy,” he adds.
He says: “Italy has the highest number of quality seals awarded by the European Union for food products. Every year at Gulfood, we try to present our best and our motto this time is ‘education, taste, promote’. For us, food is not just about the quantity, rather we want people to understand what exactly they are putting into their bodies.”
The ambassador highlights that for the past two years, the Embassy as well as the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) have been stressing on placing priority on the trustworthiness of products and invites Italian SMEs that can give complete assurance about genuineness to showcase their commodities.
The ambassador highlights that when Italy’s Minister of Agriculture came to the UAE in 2016, there were discussions on how Italian technologies could contribute to the market here. Talks revolved around technologies such as hydroponics and the use of renewables in agriculture and how they could be useful here in the future.
“We are focused on the upcoming Expo 2020 in Dubai as it will be the perfect global showcase. It is a great way to foster relations with the UAE and we will be interpreting the theme of the show ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, in a personalised Italian way,” concludes Stellino.
— deepa@khaleejtimes.com