Sharjah Chamber Highlights Food Investment Opportunities At Gulfood 2026

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, through the Sharjah Exports Development Centre, participates in the 31st edition of Gulfood 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre until 30 January. The event gathers more than 8,500 exhibitors from around 195 countries, giving Sharjah-based food and beverage companies broad access to international buyers and supporting efforts to attract new foreign investment into Sharjah’s food sector.

Within a dedicated national pavilion, the Sharjah Chamber brings together 10 food manufacturers and traders from the emirate. These companies use Gulfood 2026 to hold one-on-one meetings with buyers, explore fresh export routes, and expand commercial partnerships. Strong interest from manufacturers, suppliers, and exporters highlights growing demand for Sharjah’s food products in high-potential markets across different regions.

The Sharjah Chamber links its role at Gulfood 2026 to a wider export strategy that includes regular trade missions and participation in major global exhibitions. This approach aims to raise the profile of local food and beverage brands, encourage technology transfer and innovation, and help producers improve product quality, which supports long-term competitiveness in international markets.

Ali Al Jari stated that SCCI’s participation in Gulfood 2026 offers Sharjah-based food and beverage companies a unique opportunity to showcase their products to a global audience of decision-makers and buyers.

He noted that the exhibition facilitates business deals with companies from 195 countries and offers insights into emerging trends and innovations in the food and beverage industry, supporting the emirate’s objectives to expand market reach and increase exports to global markets.

Al Jari added that the Sharjah Export Development Centre provides an integrated support system to boost exports, offering services that enhance the quality and competitiveness of local products, establish comprehensive databases for targeted markets, and streamline export procedures in coordination with relevant authorities.

The Sharjah Chamber delegation at Gulfood 2026 includes Ali Abdullah Al Jari, Director of the Sharjah Export Development Centre, along with Marwan Salem Al Muhairi, Head of Exhibitions at SEDC, Sultan Al Ali, Head of Investor Services at SEDC, and Maha Mansour Al Zarouni, Senior Exhibitions Executive at SEDC. The team works jointly to highlight Sharjah’s investment appeal and export readiness.

Delegation members tour the exhibition halls, meet international companies, and present details of Sharjah’s business environment. During these visits, the Sharjah Exports Development Centre explains the support available for food-sector exporters, including incentives for new factories and trading firms, as well as facilitation services that reduce the time and cost of entering new global markets.

Gulfood 2026 and Sharjah Chamber market opportunities

Officials from export and investment promotion bodies at Gulfood 2026 also engage with the Sharjah Chamber delegation. Joint meetings bring together member companies and global exhibitors to discuss trade agreements, private-label production, and partnership models. These discussions open doors for long-term contracts, distribution deals, and possible capital investments into Sharjah’s food and beverage industry.

The scale of Gulfood 2026 underlines its value as a sourcing hub for Sharjah-based producers. The figures below show the key numbers highlighted by the Sharjah Chamber during the exhibition.

Sharjah’s food industry benefits from advanced infrastructure, specialised industrial zones, customs facilitation, and tax exemptions, which reduce operating costs and ease logistics. The emirate’s strategic location links producers to regional and global markets by sea, air, and land, creating broad opportunities for investors and supporting continued expansion of food and beverage exports from Sharjah.

With inputs from WAM