Organisers roll out immediate expansion plan for Saudi Food Show in June 2023. Set to be the largest food event in KSA, the inaugural event has sold out four months ahead of its debut in Riyadh.

KAOUN International and dmg events – organisers of SAUDI FOOD SHOW – have announced that the 2023 launch edition has sold out this week during GULFOOD, a full four months before its launch opening in Riyadh Exhibition Centre from 20-22 June 2023. 

The SAUDI FOOD SHOW is the first to be launched under the joint venture between KAOUN International – the global events organising company of the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and organiser of the world’s largest and most influential food trade event, GULFOOD – and dmg events, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT).

Over the past 28 years, GULFOOD has cultivated the credibility, loyalty, recognition, and support of the global F&B sector, through an unwavering commitment to delivering real global business outcomes and valuable trade deals for participants. For the global food trade, the biggest orders of the year are transacted at GULFOOD annually. The GULFOOD portfolio caters to the entire value chain and is the single most trusted event brand amongst the world’s F&B community.

With huge demand seen for this first collaborative edition, KAOUN International and dmg events are announcing the immediate expansion of the inaugural format, with additional hall structures to accommodate F&B showcases from many more countries. This provides the KSA industry an uncompromised diversity of suppliers and products. 

Even prior to its inaugural event, the Saudi Food Show has already become the largest and most significant sourcing event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“Huge growth opportunities” in KSA for F&B industry

“With such huge growth opportunities, now is the time to be a part of Saudi Arabia’s food and beverage market, and we are incredibly proud to be developing into new markets and providing further access for our loyal global F&B community,” commented Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of KAOUN International. “The early sell-out success of the inaugural Saudi Food Show is a manifestation of this trust, unlocking significant business opportunities in international markets for those participants who have followed the Gulfood brand. We are excited by the unreserved support in, and success of, our new event – and, as demanded by our clients internationally, we are excited to be launching new products into the expanding Saudi market soon. 

“Our customers have come to rely on us as committed and dependable, which puts tangible commercial outcomes front and centre for them,” continued Ms. LohMirmand.

Matt Denton, President of dmg events, commented that having operated in the Kingdom for over a decade, dmg has established the leading portfolio of trade exhibitions by matching quality audiences with local, regional & international vendors to create real trade opportunities. “Our joint venture with KAOUN International and the first sell-out edition of The Saudi Food Show builds on this legacy and is hugely exciting,” he remarked. “By combining our efforts and focusing on these key principles of quality and trade, we are offering unrivalled access to this burgeoning market – and the uptake has been fantastic. These are just the first steps for our partnership and we expect many more exciting announcements and developments to come.”

The joint venture agreement will see the partners develop an international portfolio of events in the food and hospitality sectors. THE SAUDI FOOD SHOW is set to be the first of many. These new events offer novel solutions to connect the global food and beverage industry, providing platforms to unveil new products, services and technologies, address key challenges and create new business opportunities.

Tapping in to a lucrative market

“We have had the pleasure of calling Saudi Arabia home for more than 65 years now, and in the past decade we’ve witnessed Saudi undergo a massive transformation that has solidified its position in the world’s economy. Today, Saudi Arabia represents the largest market in the GCC in many sectors, among them is the Food and Beverage sector,” commented Aamer Sheikh, CEO Middle East, Pepsico.

“With that fact in mind, we are happy to announce that PepsiCo will participate in the inaugural edition of the ‘Saudi Food Show’ taking place this coming June,” he continued. “Being a part of such a platform will provide us the chance to engage largely with the F&B sector and learn about current and future opportunities taking place in one of the world’s fastest growing markets. We look forward to being on ground with our peers from the industry and exploring the various ways we can collaborate to contribute to the growth of this nation’s ambitious vision,” he added. 

Organiser representative Ross Marsh of Tradefairs UK further remarked that the launch of The Saudi Food Show has been extremely well received by his organisation’s UK food and beverage client base. “The interest shown from small exporters to larger conglomerates reflects the excitement building around this new event,” he observed. “There is a real focus on the emerging Saudi market, and The Saudi Food Show will help connect our exporters with important contacts in this lucrative market” he added.

The Saudi food market continues to grow at an exponential rate, providing huge opportunities for businesses across the sector to flourish. As the largest in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s food and beverage market is expected to grow at a rate of 4.78 per cent by 2027, and it has set a target of localising 85 per cent of its food processing by 2030.

The inaugural Saudi Food Show runs from 20–22 June 2023 at Riyadh Exhibition Centre. For further information on booking an expo stand or registering to attend the much anticipated debut event, visit: www.thesaudifoodshow.com