Dubai World Trade Centre, DWTC, is preparing for the fourth edition of Gulfood Manufacturing, the Middle East’s largest food, beverage, manufacturing and processing exhibition, which promises to be the biggest show to date, shining the spotlight on thousands of the latest food industry solutions and hot topics such as Value Added Tax, VAT, and sector-shaping trends.

Opening tomorrow, on the 31st of October, and running until 2nd of November, Gulfood Manufacturing 2017 will feature more than 1,600 local, regional and international suppliers and industry service providers from 60 countries and 30 official country pavilions. This year’s show will feature five dedicated sectors: Ingredients, Processing, Packaging, Supply Chain Solutions, and for the first time, a focused Automation and Controls sector, which will highlight how automation and robotics are revolutionising the industry.

Spanning 80,000 square metres of exhibition space across 13 halls, the show will reveal the future of food and beverage production and provide an opportunity to network, exchange ideas and learning, while the Business Talks Conferences will give visitors a deeper understanding of the state of the UAE manufacturing industry, how the GCC-wide introduction of VAT on January 1st will impact the market and which trends are shaping the future for manufacturers and producers.

According to Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions and Events Management, DWTC, "The food industry is one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing industries in the region and beyond. To that end, Gulfood Manufacturing 2017 plays a crucial role in highlighting the ever-changing food and beverage market and trends. The show is a conduit for industry stakeholders eager to accelerate their regional distribution and sales potential, and develop new routes in the food manufacturing sector.

"The continued growth of Gulfood Manufacturing emphasises how important the show has become for the market leaders and key decision makers and further demonstrates that amid political and economic challenges across the globe Dubai continues to offer a supremely stable base to do business, backed by a visionary leadership and a government that is committed to investment and diversification of the economy."