Abu Dhabi – The second edition of Global Food Week concluded today at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, showcasing international agricultural innovations and food security initiatives under the leadership of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA).
The event, which ran from October 21-23, expanded significantly from the last edition, with exhibition space growing by 15% to 33,542 square meters. Morocco stood out among 75 participating countries, with its delegation demonstrating the depth of agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
Overall participation increased to 2,070 companies and brands. Emirati representation accounted for 1,055 national companies, comprising 51% of total participants.
Morocco featured prominently among the international participants, establishing a substantial presence through a diverse delegation of cooperatives and agricultural producers. The Moroccan pavilion, extending over 300 square meters, attracted significant attention from visitors and officials alike.
First-time participants gain international market exposure
Mahdi Arrifi, Director General of Morocco’s National Agency for Agricultural Development (ADA), spoke to Morocco World News (MWN) about the significance of Morocco’s participation.
“This is Morocco’s 13th participation in the Abu Dhabi Food Exhibition, which reflects the depth of the brotherly and strategic relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates,” Arrifi stated.
He detailed the scale and composition of the Moroccan delegation: “The Moroccan pavilion includes 25 representatives showcasing products from 32 cooperatives specialized in producing authentic Moroccan local goods.”
Arrifi stressed this year’s focus on inclusivity, noting that “around 52% of the members of these cooperatives are women. This is one of the main highlights this year: giving priority to women and to young people.”
The executive pointed out another notable aspect of Morocco’s participation: “Nearly 60% of the cooperatives are taking part for the first time in an exhibition outside Morocco.” This aspect aligns with Morocco’s broader government objectives to expand market access for small producers.
“This initiative is part of the policy of the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Agency for Agricultural Development,” he explained, which aims to enable cooperatives to “learn about what is happening internationally” while creating “business partnerships with economic actors here in the UAE, across the Gulf region, and in the Middle East in general.”
The ADA implemented extensive preparatory support for participating cooperatives. “All these cooperatives have benefited from the Agency’s support to prepare them for participation in such exhibitions,” Arrifi noted. This support encompassed “the improvement of their products, their quality, and all technical and managerial aspects.”
Marketing received particular attention, including guidance on product presentation, packaging, labeling, and customer interaction. Participants also received training on “how to showcase their products – highlighting their quality, authenticity, and production process.”
Beyond exhibition displays, strategic business connections formed the cornerstone of participation. “Within this exhibition, we also organize bilateral business meetings – what we call B2B sessions,” Arrifi explained. “During this event, we expect to achieve at least 250 B2B meetings between our cooperatives and economic operators here in the UAE.”
These connections promise tangible economic benefits that will “help improve their income and positively impact their living conditions – and that is precisely the ultimate goal of this participation.”
Collaboration yields prosperity for rural producers
The first day of the event saw a number of officials and dignitaries touring the Moroccan stand. In his turn, Morocco’s Ambassador to the UAE, Ahmed Tazi, took the opportunity to commend the strong Moroccan presence.
Speaking to MWN, he expressed enthusiasm during his visit to the pavilion. “I’m very happy to participate and to visit this Moroccan stand in Global Food Week,” Tazi told MWN, noting the delegation includes “25 entities, cooperative entities” with “about 75% of them are women” who have produced “amazing work in wrapping their products, natural products, biological products.”
The ambassador stressed the transformational opportunity for many participants who “have traveled for the first time in their lives abroad, out of Morocco.” He positioned the exhibition within broader bilateral relations, noting, “This is one of the factors that reinforce the existing good relationships between the two countries.”
Tazi observed growing consumer interest in the UAE: “I know that Emiratis are longing to discover more Moroccan products because they love Morocco, and we appreciate a lot the people of the Emirates and their leadership.”
Date palm traditions connect countries across desert landscapes
As part of the 11th Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition held within Global Food Week, Moroccan date producers presented their premium varieties to international buyers.
The exhibition, organized under the leadership of Professor Abdelouahab Zaid, Secretary General of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, brought together producers from 18 countries across 90 booths to showcase innovations in date cultivation, processing, and marketing.
Among the Moroccan participants was Difat Ziz, an economic interest group representing 31 cooperatives from the Erfoud-Errachidia region. Radouane Sadoq, representing the organization, spoke with MWN about their participation.
“We came from the city of Erfoud in the Errachidia region, Kingdom of Morocco,” Sadoq explained. Their display featured premium date varieties including “Mejhoul dates, Feggous dates, and Bouslikhen dates.”
The cooperative structure enables comprehensive services throughout the production chain, “starting from seedlings and saplings all the way to the production of dates, followed by providing services,” Sadoq noted.
Their services include “date cleaning, packaging, fumigation, and storage,” supporting a membership of 554 producers, including 155 women, who collectively manage 514 hectares with 113,644 date palm trees.
Sadoq asserted the geographic significance of their region: “Everyone knows that Mejhoul is considered the best date variety globally. The Errachidia region, specifically the Erfoud area, is the nucleus from which this crop originated and spread throughout the world.”
The group’s processing unit, operational since November 2013, has a capacity of 950 tons, allowing for significant export potential. Sadoq noted their previous exhibition experience in “France, Jordan, beloved Egypt, and now we are present in the UAE,” demonstrating the organization’s growing international presence.
The participation of Moroccan agricultural producers in Global Food Week aligns with Morocco’s Generation Green 2020-2030 plan, which aims to expand the country’s date palm cultivation to support rural development and boost agricultural exports, reinforcing the growing agricultural ties between Morocco and the UAE.