Malaysia Excels at Gulfood 2024
WEDNESDAY, 6 MARCH 2024, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian exporters participated in one of the world’s largest food and beverage (F&B) trade fair, Gulfood 2024, generated RM1.49 billion in sales throughout the event held from 19 to 23 February 2024.
The event which was held at Dubai World Trade Centre saw the participation of 80 Malaysian companies led by YB Dato’ Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Chairman of MATRADE and through a country pavilion coordinated by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). This was MATRADE’s 20th participation in the 30th edition of Gulfood which attracted more than 5,000 exhibitors from 129 countries.
Among the products showcased by the Malaysian companies were ‘ready-to-eat’ meals, beverages, confectioneries, frozen food, snacks, sauce & paste, food ingredients, bakery products, palm oil-based products as well as healthy and organic foods.
During the event, Malaysian brands were exposed to over 100,000 buyers from around 190 countries. Throughout the 5-day exhibition, Malaysian companies managed to meet and network with importers, distributors and procurement centres mainly from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, South Asia and Europe.
Under the Malaysia Pavilion, there were also exhibitors coordinated by other government agencies notably the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank) as well as Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS).
Participation in Gulfood 2024 proved to be instrumental in the business development of the existing as well as for new Malaysian exporters aiming to get access into the MENA region market. The event was a vibrant stage for Malaysian companies to exhibit their products and build influential connections globally.
According to YB Dato’ Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, “The Malaysian exhibitors at Gulfood achieved remarkable sales, exceeding all previous records in our 20 appearances at this exhibition. This impressive performance serves as a testament to the trust and confidence that international buyers have in Malaysia's food and beverage products. It is a positive sign for our export of processed food, which has seen a significant growth, reaching an export value of RM30.31 billion last year. This demonstrates the strong belief in the quality and appeal of our food products on a global scale.”
Aside from featuring various Malaysian brands at the esteemed Malaysia Pavilion, the Trade Commissioner for MATRADE in Dubai, Mr. Megat Iskandar Ahmad Dassilah, disclosed that MATRADE Dubai took the initiative to invite premium importers and distributors in the United Arab Emirates to establish connections with the Malaysian participants. "Our efforts have revolved around promoting and fostering partnerships between Malaysian exporters and foreign buyers. We are optimistic that active involvement in this event will elevate the reputation of Malaysian brands and ultimately lead to a surge in exports of our excellent food and beverage products in the region," Megat said.
According to World Prominence Sdn Bhd that promoted local food staples like complete meal dry paste, ready-to-cook seasonings and their cassava chips at Gulfood 2024, participation in Gulfood 2024 was a stepping stone for the company to expand its operation and businesses. “We received a lot of orders from foreign buyers that are interested to import our products especially our cassava chips. We would also like to thank MATRADE as well as other government agencies that have continued to support us throughout our journey. Our factory has been in operation for 20 years and now we are aiming for exponential growth. We hope to get continuous support as we embark on the journey to bring Malaysia higher in the global stage,” said Ms. Ann Zahid, Director of World Prominence Sdn Bhd.
Another company, Etika Dairies which promoted a wide range of beverage products, was elated with the response and the huge number of orders received from this event. “We’ve received many good response & enquiries from the buyers here and Gulfood has become a good meet up point for our buyers who’ve come from all over the world as Dubai is the major meeting points for business meetings,” said Ms. Hemalatha Ragavan, CEO International Business Development & Export at Etika Holdings Sdn Bhd.
In line with the global consumer trend that is now shifting towards healthier eating, Malaysia’s participation this year also highlighted healthier choice of local F&B at Gulfood 2024. These products received an overwhelming response from trade visitors at the event which clearly give a new advantage to Malaysian companies.
One of the exhibitors, Global Brand Synergy (GBS) Sdn Bhd which marketed healthy and the world’s 1st halal molasses syrup beverages, was overjoyed by the response received at the event. “This was our second participation in Gulfood and we are very pleased with the outcome. We managed to attract trade visitors from many different countries for our BlackMo coffee and tea. Our product is also considered to be innovative as we use molasses as a healthier substitute for sugar. Healthy F&B sector is rising and we shall not neglect the vast opportunities that this growing sector is offering,” said Geraldine Cheong, Business Development Manager of Global Brand Synergy (GBS) Sdn Bhd.
Malaysian exporters who are interested to export to the Middle East market may contact MATRADE Dubai at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive more information about the market, to obtain list of useful contacts, and establishing linkages with Malaysian counterparts.
