From 26 to 30 January 2026, Abu Dhabi and Dubai hosted the UFMA trade mission to the United Arab Emirates, which became an important platform for promoting Ukrainian food products in the Persian Gulf market.
As part of the mission, 30 Ukrainian companies presented over 200 SKUs of products to the target market. For the first time in Abu Dhabi, a permanent exhibition of Ukrainian products was opened at the Ukrainian Embassy in the UAE, intended for presentations to potential partners, importers and distributors.
Among the key results were negotiations with representatives of Majid Al Futtaim, the operator of the Carrefour chain, as well as SAVA in the UAE. The companies confirmed their interest in Ukrainian products ready for export. The mission participants also established direct contacts with local importers and distributors for further cooperation.
The practical part of the mission included store visits to key retail chains in the UAE, as well as a visit to the flagship international exhibition Gulfood-2026, which took place in Dubai during the same period.
An important event was the business forum ‘Ukraine and the UAE: Expanding the Horizons of Mutual Trade and Investment,’ organised by the Ukrainian Business Council under the leadership of President Olena Shyrokova and with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the UAE. The forum demonstrated the synergy between the public and private sectors and opened up opportunities for Emirati partners in contract manufacturing, export and joint investment in the food industry.
The mission was organised by UFMA in cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in the UAE, the Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development, the national project Dія.Бізнес, the international platform Nazovni.online, with the support of the Swiss Import Promotion Programme SIPPO, Mercy Corps Ukraine, and the companies Meest and Oliyar.
The organisers acknowledge the contribution of international and Ukrainian partners, in particular SIPPO, for its thorough preparation of participants and in-depth analysis of the UAE market, as well as the Embassy of Ukraine in the UAE for its active diplomatic support and creation of a powerful space for business networking.
For more information about the companies participating in Taste Ukraine in the UAE and the products presented, please visit: www.ufma.org.ua/taste-ukraine-in-uae
Photo: Taste Ukraine in the UA