São Paulo – The food service industry in the Middle East showed interest in Brazilian products at the Gulfood Manufacturing show held from November 7 to 9 in Dubai. The quality of the equipment, suitability to customer needs, service, and after-sales of Brazilian manufacturers drew the attention of buyers from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and, mainly, the United Arab Emirates itself, according to the project manager of the Brazilian Food Equipment lobby Abiepan, Daniela Saccardo.
Ice cream and popsicle machines, food displays, and industrial kitchen equipment received much attention from potential customers. The Brazilian stand brought five companies. They participated in the exhibition through the Brasil Food Service Project, a partnership between Abiepan and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) created in 2003 and renewed multiple times. The latest renewal was signed in August and extends until 2025.
“The results [of participation in the show] were excellent – the Middle East market has numerous possibilities for our companies. We started commercial promotion actions last year, but some companies have already been working in these markets for a long time, as is the case of Bralyx and Practice,” Saccardo told ANBA.
According to information from ApexBrasil, USD 127,000 in deals were closed as a direct result of the event. Another USD 3.8 million could be generated in the coming months.
“The competitive edges of Brazilian companies are product quality, adaptation to customer needs, service, and after-sales. The challenges are enormous, but companies prepare themselves with international certifications, good distributors, and adapting equipment to the countries as needed. Logistics is still one of the biggest challenges for Brazilian companies, as the costs are very high,” said Saccardo.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
