Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2 October 2024: H.E. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, officially opened the sixth edition of Future Food Forum 2024, underscoring the UAE’s priority to enhance food security and sustainability. In his keynote speech, he emphasized the country’s ambition to reduce food imports from 90% to 50% by 2050 as part of the UAE’s Food Cluster Strategy, which promotes public-private partnerships to drive innovation in the sector.
The two-day event, organized by the UAE Food & Beverage Business Group in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, focuses on the theme “Future Consumer, Future Government, and Future Food.” It highlights the UAE’s efforts to strengthen food production capabilities through advanced technologies and sustainable practices. The event, held at Le Meridien Airport Hotel in Dubai, gathers more than 300 participants, including industry leaders, policymakers, and investors, aiming to boost collaboration across the food value chain.
H.E. Al Marri detailed key initiatives launched since last year’s forum, including Made in the UAE Food, Agri-Science Universities, and Ecosystem Data Sharing platforms. These initiatives are expected to contribute $10 billion to the UAE’s GDP and create 20,000 jobs by 2030.
Additionally, he highlighted the UAE’s leadership in fostering innovation in food production through research and development (R&D). This includes nurturing future food disruptors and embedding sustainable practices to protect the environment for generations to come. The forum serves as a platform for discussing opportunities and challenges in the food sector, particularly the role of emerging technologies in addressing food security and climate change.
Future Food Forum 2024 remains a vital event for shaping the UAE’s food ecosystem and supporting its long-term sustainability goals, reinforcing the nation’s commitment to securing its food future.
