His Excellency Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, SCCI, opened on Tuesday at the Expo Centre Sharjah the 2nd edition of Expo Culinaire 2020.

Organized by Purple Kitchen Events with the SCCI’s support, the event is witnessing the participation of 2000 chefs from around the world to offer their stunning shows in the culinary arts along with 200 exhibitors of cooking and food, hospitality industry, hotels, and tourism, in addition to service and equipment suppliers, bakery supplies and food preparation, warehousing and refrigeration systems, cutlery and accessories.

In conjunction, the world’s largest annual single-entry chef competition, the 23rd Emirates International Salon Culinaire, which is organized by Emirates Culinary Guild with the support of the SCCI, was inaugurated.

competitors are taking part in the Emirates International Salon Culinaire, which is an annual event endorsed by Worldchefs and has strong support from many sponsors including Nestle and IFFCO for the 30 different categories (increased from 29 last year). The competitions are judged and awarded according to the global standards of experienced master chefs.  Competitors are awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze accreditation after detailed judging and feedback.

The opening ceremony was attended by HE Waleed Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Second Vice Chairman of SCCI, Nasser Musabih Al Tunaiji members of the SCCI Board of Directors, HE Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, SCCI’s Director-General, HE Saif Mohammed Al-Midfa, CEO,  Expo Centre Sharjah, Abdul Aziz Shattaf, SCCI’s Assistant General Director, Members Services Sector and Director of Sharjah Exports Development Center, Uwe Micheel, President of Emirates Culinary Guild, Assistant Vice President of Worldchefs, Joanne Cook, CEO of Purple Kitchen Events, , in addition to a number of businessmen, public figures and senior international and local chefs.

A Perfect Platform for Talents

“The SCCI supports all initiatives and events aimed at scaling up the hospitality industry in the Emirate of Sharjah to enhance its position as a unique destination for investment in this important sector and to advance Sharjah’s economic development process, as well as to boost the trade movement,” said Abdullah Sultan Al Owais.

He went on saying: “For the second year in a row, we are hosting the Emirates International Salon Culinaire, something which consolidates the relationship between the Expo Culinaire and hospitality professionals. Additionally, this event is providing a perfect platform for young Emirati talents to show up in front of a global audience of their chefs’ counterparts. The Expo Culinaire is also playing a key role in supporting career development and sharing skills and knowledge, and this is evidenced by Salon Culinaire.”

A Qualitative Addition

While welcoming the hosting of both events that form a qualitative addition to the annual activities of Expo Centre, HE Saif Mohammed Al-Midfa reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to providing all the support for the success of the two exhibitions, thanks to their massive impact on the hospitality and tourism sector in the emirate.

He pointed out the Expo Centre is cooperating with all partners to provide annual platforms aimed at boosting the commercial movement in the emirate of Sharjah, enhancing the local private sector and promoting Sharjah’s competitive advantages and investment opportunities available in various sectors and economic activities.

“These efforts, undoubtedly, include the hospitality and food sector to achieve diversity and sustainability for the emirate’s economy, and enhance its position on the map of the regional and international exhibition industry,” added Al-Midfa.

70% Growth in Size

The Expo Culinaire space is expanded 70% this year, compared to the previous edition, to accommodate the largest number of trainees in the previously announced training programs.

Education and Training will also expand to 27 sessions, reflecting the country’s commitment to creating and developing the field of gastronomy.  Free certificated Training and Education sessions will run again with even more classes on offer than 2019 and the expansion to 5 official education partners (Chef International Centre, Dubai College of Tourism, Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, International Centre for Culinary Arts and Richmonte Masterbaker) will be accompanied by 3 other culinary schools so that a widest-ever range of available courses can be explored by visitors.

Additionally, four of the top chefs will join the exhibition to offer workshops to develop skills in addition to undergraduate and master’s programs.

Health Crisis Protocols

Another new development was the opening of the third Annual Filipino Food Industry Conference which attracted F&B operators and restaurant owners as they explored exciting opportunities in the Philippine hospitality industry, and highlighted the food and beverage industry in the UAE, best practices and global trends in this sector.

The hygiene partner and advisor to several government health departments around the world – Ecolab- will take part in the conference to discuss the protocols on how to deal with health crises, such as the outbreak of the coronavirus and its impact on the hospitality sector.

The Expo Culinaire Exhibition is open from 11 am to 6 pm to offer its visitors a wide variety of the most delicious cuisines worldwide through dedicated areas to display multiple types of dishes and foods and to provide the public with a general idea of the main components of the world’s various cuisines.

Those wishing to learn innovative ways of cooking and how to prepare a variety of foods will also be able to attend daily workshops facilitated by top chefs known for their extensive experience in preparing food and dessert.

The three-day event is also an important opportunity for businessmen and investors to learn about the latest developments, sign partnerships and conclude food and beverage deals.