Qatar Development Bank (QDB) has showcased 20 Qatari companies in the food and beverage sector at ‘Gulfood 2017’ held recently in Dubai, as part of its strategy to promote Qatari products across regional and global markets.
Through the support of its export programme, ‘Tasdeer’, QDB showcased the local manufacturers at the nation’s designated marquee. The expo spanned a course of five days and attracted key businessmen, decision-makers, and investors in the agri-food industry from across the world.
This year’s Gulfood exhibition, tipped as “the world’s largest annual food event serving one of the fastest growing sectors on the planet,” promoted operators in an industry that is valued at more than $5tn globally, according to estimates. 
This year, the 20 Qatari companies participating at Gulfood displayed a variety of their best products, including dairy items, dates, pasta and flour-based items, bakery goods, confectionary products, seafood, poultry, processed foods, pasta and rigid packaging, as well as olive oil, natural juices and mineral water. 
The companies shortlisted to promote locally-developed products included Agrico Agriculture Development Co, Albina Snacks, Al-Qaseem Dates, Al Raheeq Juice Factory, Al Sulaiteen Agricultural & Industrial Complex (SAIC), Azba Farm for Chicken & Quail Birds, Chem-Tech International Factory, Colosseum Doha, Dandy Company Limited, Gulf Water Plant, Munah Foodstuff Factory, National Food Company, Ocean Fish, Qatar Flour Mills, Qatar Food Industries, Qatar Food Factories Co, Qatar Meat Production Co, Qatar Tunisian Food Company, Raha Bakers, and United Mineral Water Company. 
QDB CEO Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa said: “Qatari companies operating in the food and beverage sector have made important strides to improve on both scales of productivity, as well as quality. After tremendous successes in our local market, it is time for our local companies to proceed towards new horizons and expand into the regional and international markets. 
“To this end, QDB can help through the support of the export arm, Tasdeer, which we launched in 2011. Through our participation in reputable and prestigious international exhibitions like Gulfood 2017, we aim to help our local manufacturers achieve their goals and overcome the barriers-to-entry new entrants typically face in markets abroad.”
Tasdeer executive director Hassan Khalifa al-Mansoori said: “Through Tasdeer, we have set out to achieve the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 and contribute to the diversification of our national income sources. The empowerment of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is the lynchpin of that strategy, and to this end, we provide them with specialised advisory services, financial assistance, administrative and marketing support as well as access to international exhibitions. 
“Through our participation at this year’s Gulfood expo, we aim to open the doors of international trade for 20 local companies, so that they may enter new markets and achieve further growth. We are confident in the success of Qatari products and their ability to compete on a global level of excellence.”
QDB’s participation at Gulfood comes as the latest in a series of international trade fairs in which Tasdeer has promoted local companies. In the recent past, the development agency’s export programme promoted 10 Qatari SMEs at Middle East Electricity (MEE) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as well as sponsored the participation of local tech entrepreneurs at the 36th GITEX Technology Week exhibition. 
Upcoming Tasdeer events include Big 5 Saudi (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), an expo that focuses on the construction industry, which will be held at Jeddah Centre for Forum and Events from March 27 to 30.


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