Dubai: As grocery retail and wholesale channels across the Middle East scale at unprecedented speed, Gulfood 2026 is set to host Gulfood Grocery Trade, a dedicated platform designed to serve fast-moving consumer goods, private label, and grocery segments powering the region's food economy. Set to take place from 26th-30th January 2026 at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, the platform will highlight the rising strategic importance of grocery trade in ensuring product availability, price stability, and supply resilience across GCC and wider regional markets.
According to Emirates News Agency, Gulfood Grocery Trade by Gulfood 2026 is a high-impact commercial marketplace for manufacturers, brand owners, traders, distributors, and buying groups seeking scale, partnerships, and volume-driven growth. The Middle East stands out as one of the world's fastest-evolving retail landscapes, fuelled by population growth, urbanisation, and rapid modern retail expansion. Grocery and FMCG segments remain at the core of this momentum, with the UAE alone generating around US$40 billion in grocery retail sales and sustaining the annual growth of approximately 6.5 per cent. Accelerating this shift further, the Middle East's online grocery market is forecast to reach US$327 billion by 2033, reshaping how grocery products are sourced, distributed, and sold across the region.
Gulfood Grocery Trade will feature a diverse mix of regional manufacturers, processors, and trade organisations, reflecting the breadth of the grocery ecosystem. Confirmed exhibitors include Agro Blend, Ajman Chamber, Al Naqeeb, Anabtawi, Biotech, Dairy World, Dubai Industrial City, QNT, Set Al Kel, and the Umm Al Qaiwain Chamber, showcasing capabilities across packaged foods, dairy, nutrition, ingredients, and value-added grocery products.
Strong international participation further strengthens Gulfood Grocery Trade's position as a global sourcing platform. Exhibitors and pavilions will represent leading grocery supply markets, including China, Malaysia, Senegal, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Trkiye, and Vietnam, supplying a growing share of grocery products to Middle Eastern retail and wholesale channels.