Costa Rica positions gourmet food offering and country value proposition in the Middle East

• Participation in Gulfood aims to increase exports in this sector, as well as attract foreign direct investment from this part of the world.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- High value-added products such as frozen tropical fruits, frozen shrimp, coffee-based energy drinks, roasted coffee and chocolate powder are on display at the Middle East's largest gourmet food fair, Gulfood Dubai 2024, which takes place from February 19 to 23, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica(PROCOMER) aims to support the development of new businesses - and with this, exports of the high value-added food sector - as well as promote the country as a destination with a solid value proposition for investments.

In this ninth participation of Costa Rica in Gulfood, the exporting companies Fructa CR S.A., Frutera La Paz, Tertulia Brugge S.A., Thompson Coffee Ltda, Ecos Shrimp Group S.A., Rooster Energy, Beneficio La Eva S.A. and Café Montaña will also attend, with the last four participating in the fair for the first time.

"The Middle East is a strategic market for the Costa Rican food industry, since it has consumers with a high purchasing power who demand quality and innovation in the products they purchase. For this reason, Gulfood is an opportunity for our export sector to position the diversity of the offer we produce and for us to be considered a strategic and differentiated commercial partner. Likewise, it represents a high potential to promote Costa Rica as an ideal investment destination, especially for the agri-food sector", Export Development Manager of PROCOMER Mario Sáenz stated.

Gulfood Dubai brings together more than 5,500 exhibitors from 190+ countries and 100,000 visitors, where foods from various categories are exhibited such as: processed fruits and vegetables, juices and concentrates, meats, dairy products, hot drinks, halal foods, among others. This fair represents an opportunity for the Costa Rican export sector to learn about the business culture and market dynamics, as well as to establish new contacts with buyers and investors, and observe industry trends and innovations.

Paul Homberger, representative of Rooster Energy, mentioned that, together with PROCOMER, they are exploring Gulfood, one of the largest food and beverage fairs in the world, to expose their products to the world and analyze the opportunities that could arise to expand their business.

Meanwhile, Luis Ávila, from Ecos Shrimp Group, commented that Gulfood Dubai is strategic for his company, since it allows them to explore the possibility of opening new markets. 

According to data from PROCOMER, the United Arab Emirates is the third most important market for Costa Rican exports of the food industry in the Middle East, which is equivalent to $766,000 and a 16% share.

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