From 21 to 25 February, the 26th edition of the international Gulfood trade fair, one of the largest and most important food industry events in the Middle East, took place with the participation of the National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR).
Pursuing a strategy set out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the KOWR for the fifth time set up a national stand at the Gulfood trade fair under the slogan “Poland tastes good” to promote Polish agricultural and food products on foreign markets. The stand was officially opened by Mr Jakub Sławek, Chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Poland in Abu Dhabi.
The Polish national stand was spread over three industry halls: Sheik Saeed Hall no. 3 hosted the main KOWR’s stand, while Al Mulaqua Hall no. 2 and Za’abeel Hall no. 5 were devoted to dairy and beverages, respectively. A total of 9 exhibitors from the Polish food industry showcased their products in the main and dairy halls, while the beverages hall accommodated a showroom featuring drinking products of 6 Polish companies. It should be stressed that this was the first Polish stand at foreign trade fairs organised by the KOWR with the direct participation of entrepreneurs since the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic. The stand was set up while observing all sanitary safety requirements imposed by the organiser of the event. Visitors to the main Polish national stand could taste traditional Polish dishes served by Polish chefs during culinary shows.
Following the invitation of Mrs Katarzyna Rzeźniczek, First Counsellor, Representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development at the Embassy of Poland in Abu Dhabi, the Polish stand was visited among others by:
- the Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, H.E. Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi,
- the Undersecretary supervising matters of food safety at the MOCCAE, H.E. Saif Al-Shara,
- a member of the royal family of the Sharjah emirate, H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Faisal Al Qassimi,
- the Head of Control Food Trade Section of the Dubai Municipality, H.E. Dr Essam Al Hashimi,
- the Director of the Gulfood DWTC trade fair, Mr Mark Napier.
The Polish stand was also visited by the Commissioner General of Poland’s Expo 2020 pavilion Mr Adrian Malinowski, who advised exhibitors on the possibility of using the space in the Polish EXPO pavilion for individual and joint promotion activities.
In addition, the Polish national stand featured meetings with representatives of local institutions and companies, organised for exhibitors with the support of Mrs Katarzyna Rzeźniczek, First Counsellor, Representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development at the Embassy of Poland in Abu Dhabi, and Mrs Anna Tukalska from the Polish Investment and Trade Agency’s Foreign Trade Office in Dubai. The purpose of these meetings was to facilitate the operations of Polish companies in the UAE market.
