The UAE Food & Beverage Business Group (F&B Group), under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Economy and in strategic partnership with the Dubai Chamber, has announced the upcoming Future Food Forum 2024, set to take place on the 2nd and 3rd of October 2024.

As the UAE continues to solidify its position as a global leader in food innovation and sustainability, this two-day event will gather key industry stakeholders, government representatives, and academia to explore cutting-edge technologies, sustainable practices, and collaborative strategies driving the future of food production. Now in its sixth year, the Future Food Forum will feature FoodTech Valley as an organizing partner, with support from the Abu Dhabi Food Hub and DP World.

With the GCC food and beverage sector expected to continue growing to reach a market value of US$128.2 billion by 2029, the highly anticipated sixth edition of the Forum focuses on driving the UAE’s cluster strategy further with the theme “Future Consumer, Future Government, and Future Food”. The strategy was launched last year at the Forum by the UAE Minister of Economy, H.E. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, and remains at the core of country’s economic goals and key pillars of the UAE's food and agricultural transformation roadmap that aims to increase UAE food sector contribution to GDP by US$10 billion and to create 20,000 jobs.

Over the years, the Forum has established itself as a pivotal platform for driving policy change within the food and beverage sector. Serving as a bridge between government, policymakers, and industry leaders, the Forum will facilitate meaningful dialogue on the future agenda for the food sector. The event is the culmination of several dynamic, high-level policy workshops aimed on food cluster and the pressing challenges and opportunities within the industry.

By fostering a dynamic ecosystem through cross-sector collaboration and leveraging economies of scale, the UAE seeks to position itself as a global leader in the food and beverage industry, while also addressing the growing demand for sustainable and innovative food solutions. This year's theme aims to tackle emerging topics such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the circular economy, sustainability and green practices in manufacturing, international trade agreements such as CEPA, digital transformation and governance, and the growing importance of "free from" products and nutrition.

In addition to shaping policy, Future Food Forum 2024 is pushing the boundaries of innovation in the F&B industry by introducing cutting-edge technologies. The event will debut the “Foodverse,” a metaverse-based virtual platform designed specifically for the food sector. This digital environment promises to revolutionise B2B meetings, product presentations, and networking opportunities, offering participants a new and immersive way to engage in the future of food.

Saleh Lootah, chairman of F&B Group, commented, "Future Food Forum continues to serve as a platform for collaboration in the future of the food industry. This year's edition is even bigger and hosts key stakeholders from the public and private sectors and across the food manufacturing, supply chain and food-tech sectors to build on the seven key pillars announced by the UAE government to increase the food sector's contribution to UAE GDP and increasing Emirati participation in the sector. We strongly believe in the impact of Future Food Forum in driving transformative change in the regional food system."

Besides being a platform for sharing market insights and evolving themes, Future Food Forum will once again feature the ‘Free From Food Dubai’ exhibition, which returns this year, showcasing innovation in the free from, organic, vegan, functional and healthy ingredient food industries, and will be co-located under the Future Food Forum.

The event features a growing list of sponsors, including Agthia, Al Ghurair Foods, Al Ain Farms, IFFCO, Almarai, BRF, and Tetra Pak, as well as industry organisations such as IFPA. The Forum set the stage for several specialised panel discussions and presentations redefining F&B sector practices and showcasing government engagement with the food and beverage sector.