Business
UAE $40bn grocery boom puts spotlight on $327bn regional market at Gulfood 2026
The fast-growing UAE grocery sector will take centre stage at Gulfood 2026, as the global food exhibition launches Gulfood Grocery Trade, a new platform designed to serve the fast-moving consumer goods, private label and grocery segments driving the region’s food economy.
Taking place from January 26–30, 2026 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, the platform reflects the rising strategic importance of grocery trade in ensuring product availability, price stability and supply chain resilience across GCC and wider regional markets.
The Middle East stands out as one of the world’s fastest-evolving retail landscapes, fuelled by population growth, urbanisation and rapid modern retail expansion. Grocery and fast-moving consumer goods remain at the core of this transformation.
Within this landscape, the UAE alone generates around $40bn in grocery retail sales and continues to sustain annual growth of approximately 6.5 per cent, underlining its role as a bellwether market for regional retail trends.
UAE grocery sector in spotlight at Gulfood 2026
Accelerating this shift further, the Middle East’s online grocery market is forecast to reach $327bn by 2033, reshaping how grocery products are sourced, distributed and sold across the region.
Gulfood Grocery Trade by Gulfood 2026 is positioned as a high-impact commercial marketplace for manufacturers, brand owners, traders, distributors and buying groups seeking scale, partnerships and volume-driven growth.
The platform is designed to support the operational needs of grocery and FMCG supply chains at a time when retailers and wholesalers across the region are expanding at unprecedented speed.
Confirmed exhibitors include Agro Blend, Ajman Chamber, Al Naqeeb, Anabtawi, Biotech, Dairy World, Dubai Industrial City, QNT, Set Al Kel and the Umm Al Qaiwain Chamber, showcasing capabilities across packaged foods, dairy, nutrition, ingredients and value-added grocery products.
International participation further strengthens Gulfood Grocery Trade’s position as a global sourcing hub. Exhibitors and national pavilions will represent key grocery supply markets including China, Malaysia, Senegal, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Türkiye and Vietnam, supplying a growing share of grocery products to Middle Eastern retail and wholesale channels.
