TuttoFood brings made-in-Italy agri-food products to Dubai: more attendance at the Fair from the Mena area

Growing interest in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) area for Italian-made food, but also for our trade fairs as a landing point for local products towards Europe. Proof of this was the turnout - "above expectations" write the organisers - at the networking evening held in Dubai and organised by TuttoFood in collaboration with the Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano and Ice-Agenzia: about 300 guests including producers from the agrifood chain, buyers, institutions and the press representing the countries of the Mena area and, in particular, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) crowded the Salotto by Chic Nonna, an example of Italian design in the heart of the Emirates metropolis, to meet the top management of Fiere di Parma and Ice Agenzia, who, on the occasion of the local event dedicated to the Gulfood sector, presented the 2026 edition of the event that this year will be held from 11 to 14 May at Rho-Fiera Milano.

Exhibitors from Egypt and Saudi Arabia (present with its most important collective, Saudi Arabia), which will be at TuttoFood for the first time, and from Central Africa, were "particularly significant". There has been a 10% increase in large-scale retail and food service buyers from the region, testifying to a structural and non-episodic interest in the Milan event.

The evening was attended by Matteo Zoppas, President of Ice - Agency, Antonio Cellie, CEO Fiere di Parma, Riccardo Caravita, Food & Beverage Global Brand Manager Fiere di Parma, Thomas Rosolia, Managing Director Koelnmesse Italia, strategic partner of Fiere di Parma, and Carmine Forbuso, Cmo Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano.

"Tuttofood 2026 confirms itself as one of the most strategic platforms for global operators in the food and beverage sector: an international hub for producers, distributors and buyers in the sector, able to offer networking opportunities with professionals from dozens of countries," said Cellie, "aiming to bring operators from all over the world to Milan. For Mena/Gcc companies, taking part in TuttoFood means direct exposure to the European market and to international buyers looking for recognisable, reliable products with high added value. A need made more and more pressing by the profound cultural changes that are affecting the area in terms of consumption and consequent food demand, necessarily impacting on the entire production, distribution and out-of-home supply chain'.

The orientation of consumers and operators in the MENA region and the Gulf, in fact, 'as shown by the most recent analyses of agri-food trends in the Persian Gulf, highlight an evolution of consumption habits towards models that are more attentive to quality, transparency and the origin of products,' the organisers point out.