Dubai Municipality Showcases Innovative Initiatives and Smart Services at Gulfood

Dubai, 14 February 2022:  His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Airlines and the Group, and Her Excellency Maryam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Food and Water Security, visited the Dubai Municipality pavilion participating in the 27th edition of Gulfood, which is being held at the Dubai World Trade Center from 13-17, February 2022. 

Dubai Municipality showcases its smart services related to food safety at Gulfood 2022, one of the largest food and hospitality exhibitions in the world, where more than 4,000 companies operating in the food industry from 120 countries are participating.

His Excellency Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said that the Municipality’s participation in the exhibition focuses mainly on enabling food traders and suppliers to adhere to food quality and safety standards, as well as introducing them to the prominent services and initiatives provided by Dubai Municipality, stressing Dubai’s commitment to becoming a pivotal center in the global economy.

He added: “Dubai Municipality is keen to implement international standards in the field of food safety and uses the most modern and advanced digital technologies in this field, as an embodiment of its constant endeavor to enhance its vision of building a happy and sustainable city.”

Al Hajri emphasized the importance of simplifying the procedures for importing foodstuffs into the emirate - which is the largest port through which food is received by the country - by using the latest technologies based on Risk Assessment and Artificial Intelligence, in addition to re-export procedures, which will positively affect companies operating in Dubai and increase their competitiveness.
 
Proactive digital services and initiatives in food safety
Dubai Municipality is participating distinctly in this year's event, through its proactive services and initiatives in the field of food safety. Visitors to the Municipality pavilion at Gulfood will also be able to learn about My Food initiative that is based on the digitization and automation of a number of basic processes in the food safety system, which were carried out through millions of records and documents by more than 20,000 food establishments in the Emirate of Dubai. 

The initiative aims to enhance the happiness of Food Safety Department customers by providing integrated services with the concerned authorities that save the customers’ time and effort and reduce the cost of providing services.

It also contributes in reducing the environmental impact by not using papers. It is worth noting that this initiative is the first digital transformation journey in the world undertaken by a regulator in order to enhance food safety. 

Applying global standards
In conjunction with Gulfood, Dubai Municipality launched, within the initiative, the interface developed for food establishments, in an effort to empower workers in the field of food safety by facilitating self-monitoring by using the latest smart solutions to ensure the application of the highest standards in food safety. 

Communicate with food safety experts
Food companies can communicate with Municipality specialists in person at the Municipality’s pavilion at the exhibition or virtually to get answers to their inquiries related to food import and re-export requirements, food registration, food label evaluation, and other services that are of interest to food companies.

It is expected that the Municipality's pavilion at the exhibition will host official and unofficial delegations from different countries to discuss the most important issues related to food safety with the stakeholders in the Municipality, as well as learn about smart practices in the field of food safety with the aim of facilitating procedures to enhance the flow of food through Dubai ports.