Gulfood Manufacturing 2026, the region's leading food and beverage manufacturing exhibition, was officially inaugurated today by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, bringing together leading international manufacturers, technology providers, ingredient specialists and industry decision-makers for three days of business and international trade.

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum toured the exhibition floor, visiting leading exhibitors and exploring developments across food processing, packaging, ingredients, automation and advanced manufacturing technologies.

Running from 3–5 November under the theme ‘Powering Food Security Through Manufacturing Innovation’, the 12th edition brings together an extensive international manufacturing ecosystem at a time when food security, domestic production and supply chain resilience are increasingly central to national and industrial strategies.

Held alongside ISM Middle East, GulfHost and Private Label Middle East, this year's four-show platform spans 21 halls and brings together 2,500 exhibitors from 79 countries, including five new participating countries: Argentina, Mauritania, the Philippines, San Marino and Slovakia. 

Leading multinational companies including ADM International, Bühler Group, Bunge, Cargill, Chocolate Lake Co, Döhler, dsm-firmenich, GEA, Givaudan, Heat and Control, Husky, IFM Electronic, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), Ishida Middle East, Kerry, Krones,

MULTIVAC, Novonesis, Sidel, SIG Group, Symrise, Tetra Pak and ULMA are among the major international names exhibiting this year, reflecting the breadth of international expertise converging in Dubai.

International manufacturers showcase new technologies and industry developments

Gulfood Manufacturing continues to serve as a launchpad for new technologies, equipment and product developments, with international manufacturers using the exhibition to demonstrate solutions addressing some of the industry's most pressing operational and commercial priorities.

Bunge, a global leader in edible oils and specialty fats, is highlighting two award-winning innovations in specialty fats. CBT Gold offers manufacturers a cost-effective alternative to real chocolate, reducing costs by up to 70 per cent across bar, coating and panning applications. Its bakery innovation, FlexiBetter, replicates butter's sensory and processing properties while reducing CO₂ emissions by 82 per cent compared with dairy butter, offering bakers a more cost-effective and sustainable alternative.

Ishida Middle East is exhibiting the ‘Ishida QX-500’, a next-generation tray sealer designed to improve production efficiency and packaging flexibility. With a 46 per cent smaller footprint and 50 per cent lower energy consumption than previous-generation models, the system supports a range of sustainable packaging materials while integrating into existing production lines.

SACMI is demonstrating advances in beverage manufacturing through its CCM80SB and IPS500 platforms. Its high-speed CCM80SB compression moulding technology produces up to 240,000 caps per hour, with lower processing temperatures helping reduce energy consumption, material waste and polymer stress. The IPS500 preform production platform combines high-capacity output with precision process control, integrated vision systems and automated robotic quality inspection.

Global Leaders Series brings influential voices to the food sovereignty debate

A major highlight of the opening day was the Global Leaders Series roundtable, ‘The Food Sovereignty Agenda: Capital and the Intelligent Factory’, organised by Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and inD Events. Moderated by Massimo Marioni, former senior editor at Fortune and CNN journalist, the high-level discussion brought together three influential international voices: Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever; John Elkington, Executive Chairman of Volans and creator of the triple bottom line concept; and Ken Goldberg, pioneering expert in robotics and AI, Professor at UC Berkeley and Chief Scientist at Ambi Robotics.

The discussion examined the role of purpose-led business models, long-term investment and advanced technologies in restructuring conventional food manufacturing approaches, while addressing the key questions: Who will finance the next generation of factories, how nations can build domestic production capabilities and how the Gulf can lead the next phase of industrial transformation.

FoodTech Summit examines investment, localisation and supply chain resilience

The FoodTech Summit moved the conversation from global strategy to industry implementation, bringing together policymakers and business leaders to examine the practical priorities shaping regional food production.

A key focus was the opportunity to localise the UAE's food supply chain, featuring insights from H.E. Khalifa Al Hajeri, CEO of Emirates Growth Fund, alongside leading industry voices including Dr. Arif Kalantar of ADAFSA, Gilles Tisserand of Tetra Pak, Reinier Weerman of Flora Food Group, Ashvin Subramanyam of Orkla and Walid Bakr of Bühler Group.

The summit also addressed the impact of regional disruptions on cross-border logistics, highlighting the importance of diversified sourcing and infrastructure investment from representatives of Maersk, Mars, DHL Global Forwarding and DP World, including Morten Berg Thomsen, Khaled Ahmed, Viktoria Lebedeva and Ebtesam Al Kaabi.

Four exhibitions connect the wider food, retail and hospitality value chain

Extending the platform beyond food manufacturing, the co-location of Gulfood Manufacturing, GulfHost, ISM Middle East and Private Label Middle East brings four complementary industries together across 21 exhibition halls, connecting the businesses, technologies and brands driving the wider food, retail and hospitality sectors.

The four shows feature an impressive roster of international names. ISM Middle East welcomes confectionery and snacks leaders including Anabtawi Food Industries, Batook Chewing Gum, Blooming Foods, Bogutti, Casa Del Doce, Delaviuda Confectionery Group, Gumlink Confectionery Company, Lambertz Group, Powermints, Trolli GmbH and Yupi Indo Jelly, alongside many more exhibitors from Poland, Brazil, Spain, Türkiye, China, Italy, Germany, the UAE and beyond. GulfHost brings together leading foodservice equipment and solutions providers such as Ali Group, Bravilor Bonamat, ETS Nord, Henny Penny, Mabrook, Middleby, SALVA, Tecnoeka and UNOX. Meanwhile, Private Label Middle East showcases brands and suppliers including Al Ameera, Dawn Foods, Emirates Steel Wool, EPSON, Finlays, Intercare, International Food Industries (IFI), LIFCO, Rasna and V-Label, reflecting the breadth of products and solutions serving private label and retail markets.

Day 2: International brands, new product developments and industry insights take centre stage

Gulfood Manufacturing 2026 continues tomorrow with further opportunities to discover new technologies, engage with international manufacturers and explore developments across processing, packaging, ingredients and smart manufacturing.

The FoodTech Summit will turn its attention to evolving consumer preferences and their implications for the food industry, bringing together leaders from Ferrero, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, Symrise and Talabat, alongside health professionals, to examine emerging trends in snacking, confectionery, flavour science, product formulation and packaging. Discussions will explore how demand is evolving around value, health and sustainability, and how manufacturers can respond through product development and innovation.

For more information on Gulfood Manufacturing 2026, visit: https://www.gulfoodmanufacturing.com/