The second edition of SIAL Middle East, the regional show of the world�s largest food industry exhibition, concluded last week at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) with AED 1.3 billion ($ 350 million) worth of deals inked at the event.
This exhibition, which was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and ADFCA Chairman, attracted more than 9700 visitors from around the globe, registering 34% growth rate compared to the inaugural footfall.
According to the Organizing Committee of SIAL, around 500 exhibitors from more than 40 countries participated in the exhibition, with 70% of them presenting their products in the region for the first time. Using Abu Dhabi�s stature as a major trade centre for a vantage point, they plan to reach out to the rest of the region with their products.
Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee for SIAL and Official Spokesperson for Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, said the success of SIAL was primarily due to the enormous support it received from the Government of Abu Dhabi, especially from His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and ADFCA Chairman.�
�The huge interest and participation of both exhibitors and visitors highlights the pre-eminent position of Abu Dhabi as a commercial hub. This has led the mother company of SIAL to decide that Abu Dhabi will be a prominent home for regional show�, he added.
Al Reyaysa expects that SIAL 2012 will attract more exhibitors, given the huge interest the show has evinced in the first and second editions as well as tremendous return of investment for most of them, which has been translated into deals, new markets, as well as fresh insights on regional needs.
