Rwanda showcases agricultural produce at Gulfood trade fair in Dubai

The country is represented by the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) along with Rwandan producers seeking to expand their products to international markets.

While in Dubai, the CEO of NAEB held a meaningful engagement with Mr. Mussab Aboud, the CEO of Grandiose, a food and grocery retailer under the Ghassan Aboud Group, which operates 47 outlets across the UAE.

The discussion focused on establishing a long-term partnership to distribute Rwandan products, including coffee, flowers, avocados, and other fresh produce, through Grandiose’s extensive retail network.

According to NAEB, attending Gulfood offers Rwanda a valuable platform to boost exports of fresh produce, particularly vegetables, fruits, and flowers, to countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

Statistics indicate that around 90% of the country’s avocado exports are destined for the United Arab Emirates, and shipments of other fruits, especially seasonal varieties, are growing steadily.

Bilateral trade ties between Rwanda and the UAE continue to deepen. In 2023, the two countries recorded $1.1 billion in total trade, underscoring the strategic value of strengthening access to markets across the Arab Gulf.

NAEB highlights that Rwanda’s horticultural exports in the flowers, fruits, and vegetables category have seen substantial growth in recent years, fueled by increasing global demand.

Monthly export volumes in this sector have risen sharply from about 40 tons in 2017 to more than 1,000 tons in recent periods.

Revenue from vegetable and fruit exports climbed from $42.8 million in the 2021/2022 fiscal year to over $58.1 million in 2022/2023. Between July 2023 and February 2024, exports of vegetables, fruits, and flowers generated approximately $46 million.

For the first time, the Gulfood trade fair extended across two venues, the Dubai World Trade Centre and the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City, marking a major expansion of the 31st edition, which began on 26 January.

The event brought together over 8,500 exhibitors from 195 countries across more than 280,000 m², effectively doubling its floor space compared to last year.