Turkish Export Promotion Centre says ME is Key Market

DUBAI - Rising demand in the region resulted in agricultural product exports increasing to a value of approximately $4 billion in 2007 which accounted for 5.7 per cent of Turkey’s total export earnings.

Published: Sun 25 Jan 2009, 12:21 AM

Last updated: Sun 5 Apr 2015, 10:25 PM

The Export Promotion Centre of Turkey says that the country exports more than 12.5 per cent of its total food and agricultural products to the Middle East and lists Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran as its top markets. The most popular products are sugar confectionary and chocolate, biscuits, dairy products, flour, pulses and vegetable oils.

Hundreds of trade visitors and exhibitors from Turkey will be arriving in the UAE from February 23 to 26, 2009, to attend —Gulfood — the region’s largest trade exhibition for food, drink, food service and hospitality equipment. The exhibition will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) and the Airport Expo Dubai.

Enthusiasm for Gulfood is demonstrated by the fact that Turkey will have the largest pavilion in the food and drink sector at the exhibition occupying about 1,750 square metres of space.

“Turkey enjoys an established trading relationship with the Middle East. It is well-positioned to serve Gulf markets and its products are enjoying increased popularity in the region,” said Helal Saeed Al Marri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), organiser of Gulfood. “Turkey intends to further develop its trade relations with not only the Middle East, but also international markets, and Gulfood is an effective meeting point for producers, suppliers and consumers from around the world,” Marri added.

Gulfood is an opportunity for Turkish food producers to launch new commodities in the market and strengthen their established product lines, including its top exports to the UAE, namely pasta, sugar and chocolate confectionary and biscuits.

“Gulfood is the best exhibition where we can reach our target markets. We continuously participate in this exhibition and most of our customers also come to the event every year. It is an event to meet our customers face-to-face and discuss current issues and take their new orders,” said Orhan Dursun, Export Manager, GTT-Group.

· business@khaleejtimes.com