Gulfood proves Pakistan’s food industry is ready for the global table

Pakistan made its presence felt last week at one of the Gulf’s most influential food and trade gatherings, underscoring how deeply intertwined its food economy has become with the Middle East’s evolving culinary and commercial landscape. At Gulfood, Dubai once again demonstrated that it did not merely serve global markets, it actively shaped what came next.

Dubai’s rise as a global gastronomy capital had already been well established. With more than 13,000 restaurants and cafés representing flavours from over 200 nationalities, the city had become a living expression of cultural exchange through food. More than half of its residents had recognized Dubai as the world’s leading gastronomy hub, ranking ahead of New York and London, and second only to Paris as a culinary destination, while leading globally in dining diversity. Food, in Dubai, is not an afterthought; it is strategy, diplomacy, and identity combined.

That ethos was reflected powerfully in Gulfood’s historic expansion. For the first time, the event spanned both the Dubai World Trade Center and the Dubai Exhibition Center at Expo City Dubai, marking a decisive shift in how food trade is being imagined and executed. This was not merely scale for scale’s sake, it was a redefinition of food commerce itself, responding to a world where supply chains are shifting, demand is diversifying, and buyers are seeking certainty alongside innovation.

At the heart of this transformation was World Food, hosted at Dubai Exhibition Center, which brought together country pavilions and multi-commodity suppliers under one roof. It became a space where sourcing reliability met opportunity, reflecting the new priorities of global buyers navigating geopolitical uncertainty and changing consumer expectations.

Taken together, Pakistan’s presence at Gulfood reflects more than participation. It signals alignment. 

-Sara Danial

Alongside it, the Gulfood World Economy Summit convened global CEOs, ministers, and industry leaders, signalling that food is no longer just an agricultural or retail concern, it is an economic and geopolitical one. Conversations moved beyond commodities to resilience, sustainability, and cross-border collaboration. Gulfood Logistics further reinforced this shift by bringing freight, shipping, and cold-chain experts into the spotlight, addressing the infrastructure that quietly underpins global food security.

For the first time, Gulfood also introduced a dedicated Grocery Trade sector, recognizing the rapid transformation of the grocery industry. Staples, pantry essentials, and high-demand products are no longer viewed as static categories; they are becoming engines of innovation and trade growth. This focus mirrors global consumer behavior, where reliability, traceability, and scalability matter as much as novelty.

Within this dynamic environment, Pakistan’s participation carried particular significance. Powered by strategic government and industry alliances, including the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the Pakistan Dairy Association (PDA), Pakistan joined Gulfood 2026 as a Community Partner. The PDA, established in the mid-1980s and registered with both the Ministry of Commerce and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, has long served as a national platform for the dairy sector, linking farmers, professionals, and policymakers. Its objective, to strengthen backward and forward linkages across the value chain, align closely with Gulfood’s broader narrative of integrated, future-ready food systems.

Pakistani exhibitors reinforced this message through tangible, export-ready offerings, including the country’s shift toward high-value, health-focused agri-food exports. There was decades of FMCG expertise present, with spices, mixes, pickles, sauces, and desserts well aligned with Middle Eastern tastes familiar with South Asian flavours. Pakistan’s growing strength in branded packaged foods was also highlighted, driven by technology and quality control. Tea added a culturally resonant layer rooted in ritual and everyday consumption. Scale across dairy, frozen foods, and chocolates was also on full display.

Taken together, Pakistan’s presence at Gulfood reflected more than participation, it signalled alignment. Dubai has positioned itself as a launchpad for the future of food, where culture, commerce, and technology converge. Pakistan, with its agricultural depth, manufacturing capability, and growing focus on value-added exports, has found a natural partner in that vision. In a world redefining how food moves, tastes, and matters, the connection between Dubai and Pakistan feels not incidental, but inevitable.

-Sara Danial is an independent writer from Karachi.