'Sea Food Expo 2009' opens today

The three-day event, slated to run from October 12 - 14, 2009 at the Madinat Arena Conference Hall in Madinat Jumeirah, is hosting 170 exhibitors from 33 countries, in addition to 10 national pavilions from top seafood-exporting nations, and is expected to attract around 5,000 trade visitors from 88 countries this year.

Showcasing products and developments in technology, equipment and services targeting the highly-stable Middle East seafood market, the event serves as a significant avenue for global companies to establish their presence among regional customers.

Government organisations responsible for promoting and expanding their respective country's seafood industries are staging significant presence at the event, including Department of Fisheries of Malaysia, Department of Fisheries of Thailand, China Aquatic Products Processing & Marketing Association - CAPPMA, Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers, Turkish Seafood Promotion Committee, the Canadian Sablefish Association, New Brunswick Department of Fisheries (Canada), Marine Export Promotion and Development Authority - MEPDA (India), and the Ministry of Marine Affairs, Fisheries - MOMAF (Republic of Indonesia) and Sri Lanka Export Development Board.

'Sea Food Expo 2009' is also hosting some of the UAE's largest seafood companies, including Gulf Seafood L.L.C, Deep Seafood LLC, East Fish Processing LLC, Continental Food Processing LLC, IFTRA, Ocean Fisheries LLC, AND Magenta Fish & Seafood Supply LLC.

Speaking at the event, Eng. Saif Mohammed Rashid Al Shara said, "Looking at the ongoing activities at the exhibition area, 'Sea Food Expo 2009' has definitely lived up to its repute as a one-stop resource for seafood professionals from across the Middle East. The presence of leading, retail, foodservice and wholesale companies speaks of the high regard global seafood traders have for the show. The event has successfully addressed the pressing need for a common platform for seafood companies to converge and network with each other in the face of the current economic crisis, and I would like to congratulate the organiser for this tremendous achievement."

Attracting buyers and representatives from food service, hospitality, retail, import/export, packaging, aquaculture services and other sectors, the event offers a platform to help global companies satisfy the growing demand for quality sea food products, equipments for preservation and transportation of seafood, and the latest technology advancement in the seafood industry. In line with this, a series of interactive demonstrations involving premium seafood will be conducted by Chef Stefan Czapalay, one of Canada's top seafood research and development chefs within the duration of the event.

"The continuous success of 'Sea Food Expo' motivates us to invest more on its growth by providing further opportunities for companies to display their products to a global audience and for buyers to choose from the world's best products. We are looking forward to a successful participation for all exhibitors as well as to the formation of excellent partnerships, which will drive the regional seafood market's growth,"

concluded Nafees Ahmed, Project Manager, Orange Fairs & Events.