UAE, 03 October 2024: Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), the UAE’s federal export credit company, participated in the 6th edition of the Future Food Forum, the largest annual forum connecting stakeholders from the Middle East’s food and beverage sectors, as the official sponsor and Export Acceleration Partner. The event was held from October 2 to 3 at Le Meridien, Dubai, in partnership with Dubai Chambers, supported by Food Tech Valley, and sponsored by a variety of F&B manufacturers in the UAE.
In line with its guiding theme, ‘Collaboration, Innovation, and Development’, the forum discussed regional food security, sustainability, innovation, and protection of consumer health. In addition, the participants explored methods for enhancing cooperation between public and private sectors.
Her Excellency Raja Al Mazroui, CEO of Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), stated that the company's participation as an official sponsor of the Future Food Forum demonstrates its commitment to embracing innovation and sustainability. She highlighted that these principles lay a solid foundation for addressing challenges in the food sector in light of climate change, open up new opportunities for the global food scene, and facilitate the development of a flexible and sustainable food ecosystem across the region.
“Our participation in the Future Food Forum 2024 reflects ECI's commitment to support the F&B sector, one of the leading sectors for which ECI offers credit support. Over 20 businesses from these industries have benefitted from our credit support services as of 2024. ECI’s total credit coverage for the third quarter of this year was approximately AED 8 billion, while total amount of insured returns was AED 2.6 billion,” Her Excellency said.
Her Excellency further added: “At ECI, we believe in the importance of aligning strategies to empower the food sector and promote food products that of Emirati-origin on the one hand, and market trends and consumer requirements on the other hand, in parallel with exploring growth opportunities and developing partnerships in a way that supports the growth of the sector, enhances food security and contributes to increasing the diversification of the national economy.”
This year's forum attracted a large number of influential figures from the food and beverage industry, with more than 750 senior executives and more than 250 global companies, in addition to over 60 speakers from more than 70 countries, who shared their valuable insights in developing the sector.
The forum's three main themes – ‘Future Food,’ ‘Future Government,’ and ‘Future Consumer’ – have reflected how closely the future of the industry is tied to the dynamics of consumer behaviour, governmental policies, and the fundamentals of commodities produced.
Notably, the forum is the biggest assembly of business leaders and decision-makers, serving as an ideal platform for networking with stakeholders and creating opportunities for partnerships between various public and private entities. As a result, the event aims to advance the regional food and beverage sector towards greater possibilities and growth prospects.
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