Sial Middle East 2012 kicks off

Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), officially inaugurated the third edition of SIAL Middle East, on Monday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and  Rashid Mohamed Al Shariqi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), were present at the ceremony. “SIAL Middle East has also accomplished much in its first and second editions. This year, the number of participants increased to include more than 1000 food companies from 52 countries,” Rashid Mohamed Al Shariqi said. “This is in addition to the innovative products on display and the quantum of business deals expected to be struck during the event. All this is thanks to the support of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority,” he added. Describing SIAL Middle East as a significant regional business event, Al Shariqi added: “The Emirate of Abu Dhabi aims through hosting this event at widening the scope of food businesses across the region. Abu Dhabi is offering through the event a wonderful opportunity for companies to access the dynamic markets across the Middle East and North Africa, besides South and South East Asia. The superior food safety infrastructure that ADFCA put in place as well as the standards and specifications in vogue are comparable to the best anywhere in the world. This has created a congenial atmosphere for investments in the food sector in the emirate.” ADFCA Director General pointed out that SIAL Middle East had provided food suppliers an ideal opportunity to learn from the best international experiences. “Events such as SIAL and their success will go a long way in strengthening the country’s efforts towards improving the food security situation in the UAE and guaranteeing that all citizens and residents have access to sufficient and safe food,” he concluded. Running alongside the exhibition, the SIAL Middle East conference opened with a keynote panel discussion private label sector growth potential for the GCC region, which currently stands at just 3 per cent compared to over 35 per cent in Europe and 20 per cent in the US. “Brands are big business for the region and with consumers becoming increasingly selective, the growth of private labels in the food industry is a logical next step for local and international retailers,” said Chris Fountain, Managing Director of Turret Media, organisers of SIAL Middle East From Gulf Today