9th International Perishables Expo Middle East to debut Logistics & Cold Chain segment

Global cold chain market expected to grow 7 per cent through 2020 with Middle East among top consumers.

The upcoming 9th edition of International Perishables Expo Middle East or WOP Dubai, The Middle East’s leading exhibition for the fresh produce business, will feature a new Logistics and Cold Chain segment to address the need for enhanced supply chain services amidst the sustained rise in annual fresh food demand.

Running from December 5 to 7 at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai Municipality, WOP DUBAI 2017 will welcome decision makers within the fruit and vegetable sectors from over 80 countries around the world. Its new Logistics and Cold Chain segment will mainly focus on the cold chain business in the Gulf and provide a platform for logistics and cold chain industry professionals to discuss business opportunities with fresh produce industry traders and professionals in the Middle East. The 9th edition of WOP Dubai will feature 10 country pavilions that include Australia, Belgium, China, France, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, and Turkey.

The global cold chain market is expected to undergo a compound annual growth rate of 7 per cent through 2020, with the Middle East projected to be one of the top consumers of the service. With the world’s fresh food industry continuing its nearly 3 per cent annual increase in volume terms, cold storage technologies, cold transport and other cold chain services will play bigger roles in ensuring fast, uninterrupted and safe movement of produce. WOP DUBAI 2017 will unveil the latest opportunities within the rapidly evolving cold chain sector, particularly in the UAE which has become the Arab World’s commercial hub and a major platform for global trade.

Tarek Sibai, Project Manager, organizer of WOP DUBAI, said:

“WOP DUBAI provides a unique dedicated venue for discussing the latest and most important trends in the fresh produce business and revealing prime opportunities in the Arab markets. For this year we are highlighting the crucial role of logistics and the cold chain to encourage more partnerships in these areas. After receiving a record number of participants last year, we expect the 9th edition to sustain the momentum and draw in more than 7,000 visitors from over 80 countries around the world.”

WOP DUBAI 2017 will also introduce the new Fruitnet Forum Middle East organized by leading industry publication Eurofruit which will be held a day prior to WOP Dubai’s formal opening. The session will gather some of the region’s leading players to discuss topics affecting fresh fruit trade in the Middle East. The event will feature the participation of 33 countries–Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria,  China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, The Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK and USA.

Last year’s edition featured 235 exhibitors, 30 exhibiting countries and 14 Country Pavilions under 8,200 sqm of exhibition space. WOP DUBAI 2017’s show hours will be from 10am to 6pm daily, with no entrance fee for visitors. Complete event details are available at https://www.wop-dubai.com.