The Future Food Forum, first rolled out in 2019 by the UAE Food & Beverage Business Group, has emerged as a significant force in reshaping the Middle East’s F&B landscape.
Over six annual editions, it has evolved from addressing pandemic-era disruptions to driving forward-looking strategies in sustainability, technology, and food security.
Following its successful initial editions, the 2021 event focused on resilience and recovery following the pandemic. It covered post-pandemic supply chain instability, emphasizing digitalization and crisis management.
As Saleh Lootah, Chairman of the UAE Food and Beverage Manufacturers Group observed: “The forum not only highlights evolving trends but also the challenges and opportunities, while putting the spotlight on three core themes – sustainability, innovation, and digitalisation – that will define the future of the F&B manufacturing ecosystem. By building a technology-enabled food supply chain and leveraging the advances in digital, the industry can achieve transformational growth and contribute even more value to the economy and secure national food security.”
Sessions like “Stabilising F&B Manufacturing Emerging from a Global Pandemic” highlighted vulnerabilities in global supply networks, with industry leaders noting that disruptions in ingredient sourcing and logistics required agile contingency planning.
Concurrently, sustainability entered mainstream discourse through panels such as “Reduce Packaging = Reduce Waste,” where manufacturers like Mondelez International acknowledged packaging’s irreplaceable role in food safety while committing to recyclable alternatives.
In 2022, the event’s focus shifted toward regional self-sufficiency and circular economy frameworks. With geopolitical conflicts exacerbating food import dependencies, the “Towards a Unified GCC Strategy for Food Security” session advocated for localized production and diversified logistics. Dr. Hussain bin Samh Al Masrouri underscored biodiversity’s critical role in food security, stating, “Biodiversity is the main contributor to food security… relying on the environment for diversity”. Waste reduction also advanced from theory to action, with Agthia Group noting stakeholder accountability in circular value chains.
In 2023, the focus was on technology and trade resilience. The “How Technology is Transforming Food Processing” panel revealed AI-driven innovations, such as predictive maintenance reducing production waste by 15–30%.
India-UAE trade partnerships gained prominence, with Piruz Khambatta highlighting the India-Middle East-Europe corridor as a “gateway” for unified markets. Nutrition policy reform also took center stage, exemplified by Dubai Municipality’s school meal initiatives balancing taste and health.
In 2024, the Forum underlined the holistic ecosystem transformation. Under the theme “Future Consumer, Future Government, and Future Food,” the forum prioritized climate adaptation, digital disruption, and workforce development.
The launch of “Food Verse”—a Metaverse platform for F&B collaboration—exemplified digital innovation, aiming to enhance supply chain transparency. Climate-focused sessions, like “Securing Our Future: Food Security in a Changing Climate,” featured IFFCO Group’s Abdul Jabbar advocating for logistics investments in landlocked regions to mitigate climate risks.
Additionally, workforce panels emphasized national talent development through public-private upskilling partnerships.
Impact on policy, ennovation and regional collaboration
The forum directly influenced UAE policy frameworks, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations and the national food cluster strategy. This strategy targets a $10 billion GDP contribution and 20,000 new jobs by 2030, aligning with Ministry of Economy directives. Clean-label initiatives gained regulatory traction after 2024 sessions revealed 64% of consumers switch brands for greater transparency.
Other advancements included increased data integration, with AI and data analytics transitioning from theoretical concepts to operational tools, as companies like SIG leveraged machine learning for waste reduction. The forum catalyzed cross-sector partnerships, such as ne’ma National Steering Committee’s collaboration with waste management providers to halve food waste by 2030. Adaptation strategies evolved from local production (2022) to diversified sourcing from “previously inaccessible regions” (2024), according to Ghassan Aboud Group’s Suresh Vaidyanathan.
Trade discussions progressed from crisis management (2021) to strategic interdependence. The 2023 session on KSA’s market expansion highlighted consumer preference for convenience, while 2024 panels stressed “agility as key to resilience” amid disruptions like the Suez Canal blockage. UAE-India CEPA agreements, spotlighted in 2023, now underpin $128.2 billion GCC F&B market projections by 2029.
Food Verse, a metaverse platform, unveiled in 2024, enables virtual B2B collaboration, product showcases, and policy workshops. Saleh Lootah, Chairman of the UAE F&B Business Group, positioned it as a tool for creating “efficient, transparent, and interconnected” food ecosystems.
Workforce panels evolved from gender diversity (2021) to holistic talent pipelines. By 2024, the forum emphasized “continuous learning” (University of Dubai’s Dr. Eesa Al Bastaki) and cultural alignment to attract Emirati talent to F&B careers.
Sessions like “The Road to Zero Food Waste” (2024) addressed SME challenges, with Lever Bridge Company’s Shehzad Ahmad noting that demonstrating “economic value” in waste reduction boosts SME participation.
The Future Food Forum has transitioned from reactive recovery to proactive transformation, embedding sustainability, technology, and inclusivity into the F&B sector’s core.
Its role in shaping UAE policy—particularly the food cluster strategy—highlights its governance impact, while initiatives like Food Verse and waste-reduction partnerships showcase scalable innovation. As regional challenges like climate volatility and supply chain fragility persist, the forum’s emphasis on cross-value-chain collaboration remains its most significant legacy, proving that the future of food is not predicted but built collectively.
“Today we know that the key to the progress of the F&B sector lies in the collaboration between the F&B sector, regulators and academia. With the Future Food Forum, we aim to provide deep insights into the value of innovation, sustainability and digitalisation, knowledge sharing and a platform for collaboration to transform the F&B sector and pave the way for a sustainable future,” says Lootah, as his team prepares for the new edition of the Forum this year.
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