SAUDI HORECA confirms new location
Having postponed this year’s edition due to Covid-19, Saudi HORECA will be taking place in a new venue from February 2-4, 2021. We asked event organizer Jad Taktak, GM of Semark Group, what additional safety measures will be taken and what visitors can expect to find.
What can you tell us about the new venue for HORECA?
The event will be taking place at Riyadh Front Exhibition and Convention Center, which is the biggest venue of its kind in the kingdom at 245,000 sqm. The exhibition center is ideally located just 10 minutes from the airport and within close proximity to the city center.
What Covid-19 precautions will you be taking?
The Saudi General Commission for Exhibitions and Conventions had issued a protocol concerning the precautions related to Covid-19. The aisles will be 5 meters wide, instead of 3 meters to ensure social distancing, and registration will be online to prevent queuing onsite. Hygiene procedures, such as sterilization, will be enforced at the entrances to protect staff, visitors and exhibitors. No one will be authorized to enter without a mask, and all exhibitors will be asked to follow strict hygiene guidelines at their stands.
How challenging has it been to organize this edition?
It has been a difficult time for businesses around the world, and organizing Saudi HORECA has been complicated for a number of reasons. The most important factor has been rebuilding trust and reassuring visitors that the exhibition is a safe environment. The Saudi government did a great job in containing the pandemic, but since this is an international event, many of the participants coming from abroad are still struggling with curfews and restrictions in their countries. We will see what effect this has on visitor numbers. We hope traveling will be much easier by February.
How many international exhibitors are you expecting?
Saudi HORECA will have five international pavilions, in addition to companies from around 25 countries. The pavilions comprise Lebanon, USA, Greece, Jordan and China.
Why should professionals visit Saudi HORECA?
Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest business markets in the Middle East, and HORECA is by far the largest food, beverage and hospitality exhibition in the country, both in terms of space and number of exhibitors. It provides a massive platform for a huge variety of exhibitors. The event generated business deals exceeding SR 2.7 billion in 2019.
We make sure that the event always highlights the latest trends and innovations in hospitality and foodservice, and we always attract the highest quality of buyers from all hospitality sectors.
Furthermore, the event hosts a range of prestigious competitions — the Hospitality Salon Culinaire and Saudi Barista Competition are just a couple of examples — that shine a bright light on rising talents in the industry.