K-Food Fair to boost cultural and trade relations between UAE and South Korea

• K-Food Fair 2016 at Waldorf Astoria brings over 50 exporters and manufactures under one roof
• The food and cultural fair will also have an open to all edition on November 25 and 26 2016 at The Beach, opposite JBR

Dubai – November 23, 2016: K-Food Fair, the annual Korean festival organized by the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, along with Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT Center) in Abu Dhabi, has kick-started today. The festival will take place through four days. On November 23 and 24, K-Food Fair will be held at Waldorf Astoria, Palm Jumeirah and will feature over 50 food exporters and manufacturers from South Korea along with the UAE, Saudi Arabi, Iran and Turkey. On November 25 and 26 2016, the event will shift focus to a fun fair concept at The Beach, opposite JBR, and will feature Korean food stalls, Korean traditional performances and games.  

The annual festival is held to expand the reach of South Korean food by exploring export opportunities and to build more inroads for Korean companies in the UAE. The festival will bring exporters and manufacturers from South Korea and GCC countries under one roof to exchange ideas and build business relations. 

According to the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the combined trade between the UAE and South Korea has exceeded USD 147 Billion in 2016. Within this trade value, UAE's exported was USD 86 Billion mainly through crude oil and petroleum and South Korea's exports was USD 61 Billion mainly through the automobile industry. 

Speaking at the festival, Mr. Park Byung-hong, Director General of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, “The UAE has always been a great trade partner for South Korea. We have been organizing this event since 2015 and it has brought a lot of attention to our food and culture. The overwhelming response we received last year, assured us that there is a big market for South Korean food here. We are confident that in the coming years there will be more such events and festivals where South Korean companies can showcase their products and learn about the local market. We are grateful to the UAE Government for supporting our efforts to bring Korean agricultural products and cultural elements closer to the UAE.”

Further, Mr. Yoo Byung-lyul, Director General of aT Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, said, “The K-Food Fair is not only to build a platform to facilitate business opportunities between UAE entrepreneurs and Korean exporters but to provide opportunities for UAE residents and those visiting here to experience Korean food, culture and art, we expect that an event like this can further enhance trade links between the two countries.”

Speaking about the UAE and South Korea relations, Mr. Myung-Gu Seo, Director General of aT Center Abu Dhabi, said, “Our efforts to bring what we refer to as the ‘Korean Wave’, which includes cultural trends such as K-Food, Korean beauty, Korean dance, has been highly successful in the UAE. One of the key objectives of the K-Food Fair in Dubai is to blend these Korean features into developing and enhancing peoples understanding of the Korean Culture and create symbolic events portraying South Korea. The K-Food Fair 2016, is not only a festival for exporters and manufacturers to meet but also for the people to experience various aspects of South Korea. We are indeed thankful to the UAE Government for recognizing our efforts and helping us along the way.”

The UAE plays a significant and strategic role due to its geographic and economic position in the region. Currently South Korea shares strong bilateral ties with the UAE especially in the fields of nuclear energy and infrastructure. UAE and South Korea have also recently sealed an agreement to boost co-operation in agriculture and Halal food exports. The trade value in food has increased at a rate of 25 per cent so far in 2016.

The UAE is home to more than 150 South Korean companies. Through festivals like this, the South Korean Government aims to introduce more manufacturers and exporters to this region. 

The event at Waldorf Astoria has special sessions organized on Ginseng- The Miracle Herb, which will be conducted by Professor Si-Kwan Kim from Konkuk University in South Korea and Dr. Ahmed Youssef from Dr. Nutrition Programs. Besides this, Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) will also conduct a forum on manufacturing Halal food products. 

The fun fair at The Beach, opposite JBR, will feature food stalls, traditional Korean dance performances, musical acts, B-boying, fun games and contests and much more on November 25 and 26.