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The leading fresh produce businesses from the Middle East are linking up with major suppliers and service providers from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas at the latest edition of the Eurofruit Congress Middle East, the region's leading fresh produce conference event which opens its doors this evening in Dubai.

Some 200 delegates from 20 countries worldwide have registered for the three-day conference event, which this year for the first time features Eurofruit EXPO, a new exhibition opportunity for a selected group of companies keen to access the Middle East consumer market. It includes companies from Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia and Costa Rica.

'This year’s conference focuses on a number of themes that are vitally important for Middle East fresh produce businesses,' explained conference moderator Chris White, managing director of Market Intelligence Ltd, publisher of Eurofruit Magazine and organiser of the Eurofruit Congress Middle East.

'Among things, we're going to be looking at some of the new food safety requirements that any supplier to the UAE has to consider, the logistics challenges that face businesses in the region, as well as the opportunities to raise consumption of fresh produce to counteract the alarming rise in childhood obesity levels,' said Mr White. 'And we're also going to be talking one-on-one with Jannie Holtzhausen, the chief executive of Spinneys, the largest food retailer in the Middle East region.'

The Eurofruit Congress Middle East, which is endorsed by the Dubai Municipality, takes place at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai's financial business district. The conference sessions start Tuesday morning at 9am local time and finishing the following afternoon with a tour of Dubai’s Al-Aweer market. A Welcome Reception takes place at the Shangri-La Hotel this evening from 6pm local time, with registration open from 4pm. More information is available at http://www.eurofruitcongress.com/me