Food Expo 2005 opens today in Oman

A large group of international exhibitors, Omani companies as well as local representatives of foreign firms will showcase their products and services at the three-day exhibition, which will run until December 7. Food Expo 2005 is open to trade visitors from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and then to trade visitors and the general public from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The exhibition will display a wide range of catering equipment, hotel and restaurant supplies, packaging options, refrigeration systems, kitchen equipment, agricultural supplies and machinery, and various types of food products. Food Expo 2005 will also feature bar equipment and accessories, poultry and other meat products, baking supplies, tableware products, snack foods, and agricultural produce.

"The wide variety of products at Food Expo 2005 is a reflection of the numerous sectors making up the food industry,"

said C.J. Paul, General Manager of Omanexpo LLC, the leading exhibition organizing company in the sultanate. "The food industry in Oman is now experiencing rapid growth as the sultanate's population continues to grow and as the number of tourists coming to the country increases every year," he stressed.

Paul explained that Food Expo 2005 aims to contribute to the continued development of the food industry by bridging the gap between equipment suppliers and users and by bringing together food manufacturers, distributors, and consumers.

He added that the strong interest shown by international exhibitors to the event is a clear sign that Oman is increasingly recognized as a good market not just for food products but for equipment and services related to the food industry. Among the countries represented in Food Expo 2005 are Brunei, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Pakistan, Portugal, Slovenia, Thailand, and the U.A.E.

Food Expo 2005 is sponsored by Abdul Khalik Abdullah Habib Najwani & Partners LLC, the pioneer catering equipment supplier in Oman. The event is also supported by the National Hospitality Institute and the Gulf Chef School, both of which will be holding cooking demonstrations as a side attraction of the exhibition.