Khairul Nizam Moonier
KUCHING (Feb 16): Eleven Malaysian food and beverages (F&B) companies will participate in the Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to explore global markets, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, by establishing connections with prominent buyers.
This mission is a joint collaboration between the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) and the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Kuskop) as well as SME Bank.
The mission, which is set to take place from Feb 17 to 24, in conjunction with Gulfood 2024, aims to spotlight Malaysia’s prowess in delivering world-class F&B products and services, said a Matrade press release yesterday.
Matrade, through its office in Dubai, will coordinate the programme for this mission including the SMEs’ participation in Gulfood 2024.
“The primary focus of this mission is to empower Malaysian SMEs to explore global markets, particularly the MENA region, by establishing connections with prominent buyers,” said Matrade.
Gulfood, held annually, is one of the world’s largest trade fairs in the food, beverage and luxury foodstuff industry.
The 29th edition of this iconic event remains pivotal in fostering connections within the global F&B industry, steadily gaining significance as it presents a myriad of business opportunities.
The event will host over 5,500 exhibitors and visitors from over 190 countries, unveiling new business opportunities as well as providing solutions to new and evolving global challenges.
“Matrade’s continued collaboration with Kuskop and SME Bank underscores our commitment to empower Malaysian SMEs in fostering their growth to contribute significantly to the nation’s export,” said Matrade Transformation and Digital Trade Division director Khairul Nizam Moonier.
He said the mission not only serves as a platform to showcase Malaysia’s excellence in the F&B sector at a global stage, but also to provide a gateway for SMEs to access untapped markets.
The trilateral collaboration between Matrade, Kuskop and SME Bank has been able to assist 69 Malaysian SMEs through a total of six initiatives from 2022 to 2023.
These initiatives span multiple sectors, including F&B, healthcare, ICT as well as oil and gas, facilitating the expansion of their export activities and venturing into new markets.
These efforts have resulted in the generation of RM1.19 billion worth of export sales.
Matrade is committed to continuously assist SMEs through its collaborative efforts which serve as effective channels for Malaysian manufacturers and professional service providers to promote their world-class products and services globally.
This would also enable Malaysian SMEs to prosper on a global scale and create spillover effects of higher employment and household income.
