Zoppas (Ice Agency) and Ambassador Fanara attend the inauguration of the Italian Food Lab in Dubai.

Today marked the first day of Gulfood 2025, the leading trade fair dedicated to the agri-food sector in the United Arab Emirates, scheduled from today to February 21 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The United Arab Emirates confirms itself as a key market for Made in Italy, with a 6% increase in Italian exports recorded in the first ten months of 2024, for a total value of approximately 344 million euros. Among the fastest growing sectors, beverages, liqueurs and vinegars stand out, with an increase of 32% and an export value of approximately 29 million euros, placing Italy in sixth place among the country's main suppliers in these categories. Baked goods, on the other hand, recorded a growth of 23%, reaching 55 million euros in exports, while the dairy sector recorded the most significant increase with a +36% and a value of approximately 30 million euros.

In this context, Ice Agenzia is present at Gulfood 2025 with the Italian Food Lab, an area dedicated to the valorization of the Italian culinary tradition through masterclasses and live show cooking. Italian chefs active in Dubai and internationally will guide visitors in an immersive experience, presenting techniques, traditions and quality of Made in Italy products and creating signature dishes with ingredients selected by exhibiting companies.

The inauguration of the Italian Food Lab was attended by Lorenzo Fanara , Italian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Edoardo Napoli , Italian Consul General in Dubai, Matteo Zoppas , President of Ice Agency, Valerio Soldani , Director of the Ice Office in Dubai.
“We want to expand the presence of Italian food in the UAE and there is no better place to do so than Gulfood. We look forward to a successful fair, sharing some of the best Italian food companies and culinary products,” said Ambassador Fanara .

For his part, Zoppas reported: "There is an excellent relationship between our governments, as demonstrated by the 'Italy-United Arab Emirates' Business Forum that will be held in Rome and will see the presence of Prime Minister Meloni , Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Emir Sultan III bin Muhammad al-Qasimi . Our exports to the country are supported in particular by the beverage, liqueur and vinegar sectors (29 million euros, up 32%), baked goods (55 million euros +23%) and dairy products (30 million + 36%). There is a great predisposition for Italian food and as ICE we are making important agreements with large-scale retail trade that are producing excellent results. We organize missions and business matching opportunities, such as the event held in collaboration with Confagricoltura and during which a dozen Italian companies, not yet present on the Emirati market, had the opportunity to meet the main local importers and distributors, presenting their products to them. We support the most important fairs, including Gulfood, where today there are around 200 Italian companies".

"During the bilateral meeting between Minister Lollobrigida and the Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoud ," Zoppas continued, "particular attention was paid to the rice sector. To this end, during the first day of the fair a meeting was organized with the main Italian producers and with the Rice Authority, thus strengthening the collaboration between the two countries in this additional agri-food sector. In the United Arab Emirates, thanks also to the presence of a strong foreign component of the population, contrary to what many people think, even products such as pork and wine have a market."