QDB sponsors 10 Qatari F&B companies at Gulfood 2014

Entrance to the Qatar pavilion at the ‘Gulfood 2014’ being held in Dubai.

Qatar Development Bank (QDB) chief executive officer Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa said the participation of local food and beverage (F&B) industry players in the ‘Gulfood 2014’ exhibition places the country’s cuisine in the spotlight by showcasing its potential to compete with other international dishes.

Al-Khalifa made the statement after the bank sponsored the participation of 10 Qatari F&B companies in the food expo, now being held in Dubai.

“Qatari participation in Gulfood demonstrates the development and diversification of our food industry, and its potential to compete on a regional and international level,” al-Khalifa said.

He added that QDB sponsored the F&B companies through its export arm, Tasdeer. The “Tasdeer programme” was created to develop and promote exports from Qatar, providing export credit guarantees, in addition to financial products and solutions “designed to mitigate the risks imposed on local exporters.”

“Through Tasdeer, our aim was to enhance their position and expand it by identifying potential opportunities and offering the necessary data and insights about various markets,” al-Khalifa explained.

The participants in the expo lauded both QDB and Tasdeer’s support during the show and said, “the event opened new business opportunities for them.”

“We were keen in participating in Gulfood for the second consecutive year as it is one of the largest food exhibitions in the Middle East, which resulted in expanding business opportunities and business ties,” al-Khalifa added.

The participants in the event included Dandy Company, National Food Company (ZAD Holding), Qatar Flour Mills, National Food Company (Nafco), Qatar Food Factories, Colosseum Gelato, Qatar Meat Production, Agrico Organic Farms, and Gulf Water Plant.

Gulfood 2014 is one of the world’s biggest annual exhibitions, providing a trade, sourcing and networking platform for companies in the food industry from as many as 88 countries.

In all, 152 foreign country pavilions were also set up at the event, which was attended by more than 70,000 qualified business visitors. Professional chefs also took the opportunity to highlight their skills in front of a large audience.

Different varieties of food items, beverages, restaurant supplies, hospitality services and other related food equipment were exhibited by more than 4,500 firms.