The seventh edition of SIAL Middle East, a professional trade exhibition for the food, drink and hospitality industries, will take place from 5 – 9 December at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
Catering News Middle East, a BNC Publishing title, is the Official Publication of SIAL Middle East 2016.
Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, the show will highlight global food innovation and trends impacting the F&B industry in the Middle East.
Thamer Al Qasemi, chairman of the organising committee of SIAL 2016 said: “Innovative international production processes, strategies and quality products have all been incorporated into SIAL 2016 to highlight how the supply and demand gap can be closed throughout the region, which has been exasperated by the growth in population, changing consumption demands, increasing income levels and adverse environmental changes.”
New to the show this year are a series of niche conference sessions focusing on the latest trends in the food and beverage sector.
As part of the SIAL Innovation Area, innovative products from around the world will be on display, giving attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest advances in the industry.
A new addition to the La Cuisine competition, which attracted more than 650 competing chefs last year, is the Alen Thong Golden Coffee Pot Young Chefs Challenge.
The challenge has been launched in memory of one of the Emirates Culinary Guild’s founding fathers, and will see nine teams of five professional young chefs compete for the winning title.
The 35th edition of The Mercurys, an awards ceremony for supply companies to the airline catering sector, will take place during SIAL on 5 December at Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat al Beri, Abu Dhabi.
These accolades will cover the best airline meals, service concept, food products, beverage and equipment.
Returning for a second successive year is the Abu Dhabi Food Security Roundtable series, organised in partnership with Food Security Centre – Abu Dhabi (FSCAD).
During the series, government officials, CEOs and industry experts will discuss and debate ways of ensuring the availability of affordable, sustainable and nutritious food for the region. Over 200 attendees are expected over two days.
Another annual feature, the SIAL Innovation World Champions, will showcase the 11 most innovative products from SIAL’s global events.
Meanwhile, the SIAL Innovation Area will showcase innovative products, providing an opportunity for attendees to learn about upcoming sector trends.
The Regional Barista & Latte Art Championships will return for a second year, highlighting the skills and knowledge of the region’s best coffee makers.
The competition will welcome back more than 20 baristas with the winners announced on the final day of the exhibition.
Also returning for 2016 is the World Tour exhibit, with displays by food journalists from across the globe including editors from publications in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Poland, Russia, Spain, the UK and the US.
Fadi Saad, director, SIAL 2016 said: “We have seen exceptional growth in recent years. We have over 900 exhibitors confirmed, over 30 international pavilions, 500 hosted VIP buyers and are expecting more than 22,000 trade visitors to attend the three-day event.
“Last year the event secured deals worth AED3.7 billion, with the increase in exhibitors and visitors we look set to exceed this figure once more.”
SIAL is organised in cooperation with Strategic Partner, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and supported by Abu Dhabi Chamber as Host Sponsor and in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Food Festival.
Al Dahra Agriculture is headline sponsor with Jenaan Investments the Diamond Sponsor and Emirates Food Industries Gold Sponsor.
Emirates International Group for Food and Agriculture and Al Rawabi are Silver Sponsors; Mawasim and Agthia are Bronze Sponsors; LuLu is the official Retail Partner; Etihad Airways is the Official Airline; and Emirates Culinary Guild and World Association of Chefs are Culinary Partners.