The promising Middle East market

About four years ago, Alpen Capital forecast the GCC to have 57.6 million consumers by 2019. With water scarce and climate and land attributes adverse to agriculture, the region as we know it has been relying mostly on imported products. In recent years however, local manufacturing has been getting a boost from the availability of technologies, innovative and healthier ingredients as well as more efficient production lines. Such is the thinking behind one of the the region’s major trade shows, Gulfood Manufacturing – and that is to provide local manufacturers with what they need in order to create their own F&B products. This year, the event takes place annually in Dubai, and this year is scheduled on November 6-8.

The October issue of Food Manufacturing Journal – Middle East features some of the companies that will be at this event such as Hydrosol, Palsgaard, Epi Ingredients, Ingredion, Ishida, Sidel, Gebo Cermex, Greatview Packaging, and GEA. 

Open to new flavours

The Middle Eastern palate is inclining toward western flavours. Demand for indulgence and high quality is becoming more evident as income shifts allow purchases of a much wider selection of international brands. 

Ready meals, restaurant food, take-outs, and delivery are taking the place of traditional home-cooking as more women join the workforce; non-alcoholic beverages especially coffees and ready to drink teas are getting a boost with the rise in social drinking, according to market research reports.

Meet them in Gulfood Manufacturing 2018

Arla Foods Ingredients - Nutrilac®

GNT - EXBERRY®

Epi Ingredients - SoBenefik

Ingredion – Tour of Tasty Trends 

On-the-go snacking continues to drive sales of bakery products, confectionery, and savoury products. The extruded snack food market alone hit USD1,987 million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD2,555 million in 2023, growing at a CAGR of more than 4%.

Dairy consumption, especially of labneh and yogurt is growing as a result of the markets’ favourable response to new products and flavours. Dairy value sales in the MENA are expected to reach USD40.2 billion in 2021, while the thriving market for olive oil, sunflower, soy and other edible oils, is forecast to reach value sales of USD13.2 billion for the same period.

Demand for halal meat has also increased, with opportunities of growth mainly coming from the frozen processed meat and poultry segments. From a sales value of USD 5.1 billion in 2016, earnings in meat and poultry is projected to grow to USD6.6 billion in 2021.