International exporters looking for opportunities in the UAE
Speaking to Khaleej Times, ambassador Patrizio Fondi - head of the EU Delegation to the UAE - said that more EU products will make their way to the UAE as consumers become conscious of safety and environmental issues. "As the EU has a variety of food produced in its 28 member states, it is for sure that there are still many products which are not yet known. We therefore firmly believe that the variety of EU food products to become available will grow in all sectors."
The European Union is the largest agri-food exporter and importer in the world, with the value of its agri-food export reaching 130 billion dollars in 2016. The Middle East market has grown enormously in the last 10 years.
Agri-food imports from the EU to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries have reached 7.5 billion dollars in 2016, of which the UAE's share stands at 3 billion. This means that the UAE is amongst 10 top export destinations outside the EU for agri-food.
