Food Festival to begin at Expo Centre Sharjah on September 18

The event will display fresh, frozen, processed, and packed food, dairy products, beverages, spices, grains, and cereals, health food, and restaurant services.

'Food Festival 2006 is primarily a tool for the food and beverage industry for brand building and testing the growing UAE market as well as for launching new products in the region,' said Mr. Saif Al Midfa, Director General, Expo Centre Sharjah.

'Among those who are going to particularly benefit from their participation at the Food Festival are food manufacturers, distributors, retailers of food products, marketing companies of food products, restaurants, food brands promoters, commercial and domestic kitchen equipment and appliances manufacturers, and hotel and restaurant supply companies,' he added.

'For visitors, the Food Festival will be a complete family entertainment event. Besides being able to savour recently launched food products, they will also get an opportunity to avail the very best bargains, participate in competitions and other promotional activities and win attractive gifts, and witness live cooking demonstrations by some of the country's finest chef's,'

said Mr. Saif Al Midfa.

For the regional food and beverage industry, the event will be ideal for networking and for exploring opportunities for tie-ups including franchises.

Major attractions at the Food Festival include activities like cookery, ice and Fruit carving, demonstration by five star hotels, and distribution of food gift hampers and a wide range of competitions.

General consumers, grocery store owners, convenience store owners, food and beverage managers, restaurants, clubs, cafeterias, and government and private Institutions, will form the bulk of visitors at the show.

The UAE, given that its population has touched the 5-million mark, 20 times more than what it was in 1971, provides infinite opportunities for the food and beverage industry. The country continues to maintain its position as having one of the world's highest per capita incomes because of a similar growth in the gross domestic product (GDP).

The last edition of Food Festival had attracted hundreds of thousands of food connoisseur from across the UAE.

Food Festival 2006 is being organised by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

The event will be open to trade visitors from 10 am to 1 pm and for trade and public from 5 pm to 10 pm.