Dubai to host fruit, veg and plants expo in Nov

Dubai Municipality and planetfair on Wednesday signed an agreement to bring to the Middle East the largest and only dedicated fresh produce trade show. The World of Perishables (WOP DUBAI) exhibition will take place on November 19-21 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. For 2012, WOP Dubai is expecting an increase of 20 per cent in trade visitors. The organisers have achieved a 15 per cent increase in rented space versus last year. “We are pleased with our partnership with planetfair to bring together the region’s fresh produce trade professionals. It is appropriate that we hold the WOP exhibition in Dubai as this is where we find the biggest fresh produce traders in the Middle East, at Dubai Central Fruit and Vegetables Market (Al Aweer). Dubai is the region’s hub for the fruit and vegetable trade,” said Abdulla Mohammed Rafia, Assistant Director General for General Support Sector of the Dubai Municipality.

In 2011, WOP hosted 131 companies from 18 countries with eight official country pavilions participating. These countries were: France, China, Lebanon, Rwanda, Egypt, Kenya, Turkey and Italy. planetfair registered over 2,500 trade visitors from 54 countries. Eurofruit Magazine, in cooperation with WOP Dubai, will be running the Eurofruit Congress Middle East from November 17-18 at the Shangri-La Hotel Dubai. Alongside the WOP Dubai trade show, planetfair also runs the International Plant Expo Middle East (IPM DUBAI) which is regarded as the region’s largest plants and flowers trade fair and features international exhibitors for seven years. Both shows last year registered 4,321 visitors, up by 21 per cent from 2010. Dubai saw a 16 per cent growth in the import of fresh fruits and 20 per cent increase in fresh vegetables from 2008 to 2010. In 2010, Dubai imported almost 1.7 billion kg of fruit and vegetables valued at nearly Dh5.3 billion.

Source: www.emirates247.com