Region's confectionery markets poised for rapid expansion

Market watchers ranked the 'Middle East and South Africa' as number two globally in terms of volume and value of bakery sales in 2007.

Joanne Cook, Industry Group Manager - Exhibitions & Events Management at Dubai World Trade Centre, said:

"High incomes, growth in population and increasing availability of international products are leading ingredients in the growth of the sweets and confectionery sector."

With several major GCC markets dependent on imports, international suppliers are increasingly tailoring sweets, confectionery and bakery products to include local flavours and ingredients.

Offering the ideal platform for industry professionals to network and expand, Sweets Middle East is the region's only dedicated trade show for the sweets and confectionery industry. Co-organised by leading exhibition organisers, Dubai World Trade Centre and Koelnmesse, organiser of the leading international sweets and confectionery show ISM in Cologne, Sweets Middle East will take place from 3-5 November 2008 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Cook added: "Local manufacturers are looking for innovative ways to expand their market share with gourmet snack foods leading the trend of regionally specialised products."

Leading snack food manufacturer, Hunter Foods, is looking to launch its latest gourmet snack innovation, "Poppatillas", at Sweets Middle East 2008.

"We believe there is a market for fusion snack which is why we will launch what we think of as 'Indian Poppadums meet Mexican Tortillas'," announced Bharat Narayan, Chairman and Managing Director of Hunter Foods Limited FZCO.

"We have designed a contemporary snack for today's international lifestyle by infusing the flavours of the rich Indian spices together with the taste from the golden-brown Mexican corn fields," said Narayan.

Sweets and confectionery trade shows have been a successful tool in facilitating local business ventures across mature markets. Organisers are witnessing increased participation from local manufacturers and suppliers at the 2008 show re-emphasising the need for this specialised industry exhibition in the Middle East.

The diversity of the Middle East market offers manufacturers a myriad of innovative snack food possibilities. Trade professionals agree that there is a large market for popcorn in the Middle East with local producers quick to capitalise on this by introducing several styles of gourmet and specialised popcorn in recent years.

Popular Popcorn, a leading UAE based producer offers over 30 different flavours of popcorn to the MENA region and acknowledges that a majority of is raw materials are imported from carefully selected suppliers in Germany and France.

Heading the popcorn innovation, the company announced plans to launch its latest exciting snack food novelty at Sweets Middle East 2008, "ready-to-eat" Gourmet popcorn, in four different flavours - 'white chocolate and coconut', 'creamy caramel and chocolate', 'cheddar cheese' and 'very spicy chilli' flavours.

Local and international producers are looking to use Sweets Middle East as a platform to launch new regionally adapted snack foods to retailers, caterers and hoteliers.

Sweets Middle East will run from 3-5 November in halls 7&8 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The exhibition is for Trade and Business Professionals only and will be open from 10am - 6pm daily. General public and persons under the age of 18 will not be permitted entry.