Gulfood 2026 Expands to Dual Venues, Positioning Dubai as Global Food Trade Headquarters
TL;DR
Gulfood 2026 offers businesses a first-mover advantage with access to 8,500+ exhibitors and 195 countries to secure partnerships and scale globally ahead of competitors.
Gulfood 2026 operates across two Dubai venues spanning 240,000 sqm, organizing 8,500+ exhibitors into sectors like Beverages, Dairy, and new areas like Seafood and Startups.
This event fosters global collaboration on sustainable food systems, transparent sourcing, and innovative technologies to improve food security and nutrition worldwide.
Gulfood 2026 features India as Official Country Partner with 600+ exhibitors and new participants from Ghana to Sweden in the largest F&B trade footprint ever.
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The global food and beverage industry is undergoing significant transformation driven by health, technology, sustainability, transparent sourcing and AI-enabled performance. With the global food and beverages market projected to reach $11.37 trillion by 2030 according to the Food and Beverage Market Size, Share & 2030 Trends Report, and the MENA region recording the world's fastest F&B growth rate, businesses are seeking platforms that provide scale, intelligence and cross-border opportunities.
Gulfood 2026, scheduled for January 26-30, will expand across two mega-venues for the first time in global food trade history, utilizing both Dubai World Trade Centre and the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai. This expansion creates a 240,000 square meter footprint, making it the largest F&B trade event ever assembled. The dual-venue approach enables buyers to source finished goods, fresh categories, commodities, national pavilions, innovations and next-generation technologies in a single, streamlined journey.
The event will feature 8,500+ exhibitors, 1.5 million+ products and participation from 195 countries. New exhibiting nations include Ghana, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kurdistan Region, Luxembourg, Maldives, Qatar, Rwanda, Slovakia, Sweden and Uganda. Major pavilions from Egypt, India, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Türkiye and the USA will expand to their largest footprints to date. The event will host strategic government and industry alliances including Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) India, Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), Business France, Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, Dubai Holding, ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, Meat & Livestock Australia, and National Aquaculture Group (NAQUA) Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Mark Napier, Vice President Exhibitions Department at Dubai World Trade Centre, stated that Gulfood 2026 opens the global F&B calendar as the first and most influential sourcing event of the year, setting the industry's strategic direction. The expansion across five new sectors makes Gulfood the only complete platform for the entire food and beverage ecosystem.
India enters as the Official Country Partner for Gulfood 2026, delivering its largest-ever presence with 600+ exhibitors. India's F&B market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.4 percent through 2028 according to India's Food and Beverage (F&B) Sector Analysis [2025]. Leading Indian exhibitors including Amul, Everest, MDH, Mother Dairy and Rasna will be in attendance.
The Dubai Exhibition Centre will host the Gulfood World Economy Summit, convening CEOs, policymakers, investors, visionaries, leading scientists, academics and leaders to discuss economic, regulatory and trade frameworks. For more information, visit https://www.gulfood.com. Additional industry insights can be found in reports such as Navigating the Future: How UAE Food Distributors Are Transforming the Middle East Supply Chain and Top Ten Food and Beverage Trends 2025.
Curated from 24-7 Press Release
