Business opportunities abound at Food Expo 2006

Food Expo 2006 is an international exhibition that showcases the latest catering and kitchen equipment, food and beverage, packaging products, hotel and restaurant supplies as well as food and beverage. This year's edition of the event features over 55 exhibitors including 25 companies from other parts of the world.

"Local and international companies are participating in the exhibition to proudly present their high-quality products to potential clients, distributors and business partners in Oman," said C.J. Paul, general manager of Omanexpo LLC, the leading exhibition management company in the sultanate.

Brunei Darussalam is the foreign country with the largest number of participants at the exhibition through the efforts of its Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources. The Brunei stand comprises of ten companies presenting various types of products ranging from canned goods, chilly sauces and halal meat products to biscuits, pineapple tarts, and kitchen accessories. The participating companies hope to find a local partner or distributor who would market commercial quantities of their products here in the sultanate.

Maliban Biscuit Manufactories and Societe Tunisienne De Biscuiterie (Sotubi), which are from Sri Lanka and Tunisia, respectively, are likewise looking for a local distributor of their wafers and other biscuit products. Two other Sri Lankan companies -- Bogawantalawa Tea Estates Ltd. and Ceylon Fresh Teas (Pvt) Ltd. - are offering tea that can be packed according to the specifications and preferred label of clients.

A new energy drink is also being introduced for the first time in the sultanate with the participation of Battery Energy Drink as the sponsor of Food Expo 2006. IMI International Ltd. of the UK, the authorized distributor of the product in the region, is looking for a local partner who would supply the energy drink to groceries and hypermarkets all over the sultanate.

Nine companies from the United Arab Emirates are also taking part in Food Expo 2006 to present their products to potential major clients in Oman. In addition, modern kitchen equipment from Italy and Germany, various types of packaging products, agricultural supplies and cleaning systems for hotels and restaurants are on display in the exhibition.

Food Expo 2006 is mainly sponsored by AKAH Najwani & Partners LLC, the largest catering equipment supplier in the sultanate which is marking its golden jubilee this year. Other major local participants include A'Saffa Poultry Farms SAOG, General Electric & Trading Co. LLC, Sharikah Fanniyah Omaniyah (Muscat) LLC, Al Bayader International LLC, Matrah Cold Stores LLC, Sohar Poultry Co. SAOG, and Oman Gulf Enterprises.

Food Expo is also supported by the Oman Daily Observer and Arabic Daily Oman as media partners.

The timings of the exhibition are from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and then from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.