REC Summarized Results of Made in Russia National Exposition at Gulfood-2026, Dubai

February 2, 2026

The world's largest food and beverage exhibition, Gulfood 2026, was hold in Dubai this winter. Russian Export Center (REC, VEB.RF Group) organized a large-scale national stand under the Made in Russia brand. The participation of Russian companies in the exhibition confirmed the strong interest of international partners in Russian agricultural products.

The Made in Russia stand set a record for both the number of participants and the size of space: nearly 140 companies from 40 Russian regions presented their products on an area of over 2,000 square meters, double the previous year's figures. Visitors were able to taste baby food, fish and seafood, freeze-dried berries, grains and legumes, confectionery, protein and vegan products, beverages, oils, as well as delicacies and livestock products, including those compliant with halal standards.

During the exhibition, Russian exporters, with the support from Russian Export Center, held 1,032 business meetings with potential partners from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, India, and Oman. The combined export potential of concluded agreements is estimated at 5.5 billion rubles.

Russian Export Center provided comprehensive support to participants, including co-financing participation costs, organizing negotiations and business meetings, and promoting Russian products under a single national brand. The results confirm the robust demand for Russian agricultural products and create the preconditions for further expansion of high-value-added export.

Russian exporters highly praised exhibition effectiveness. Alexander Samokhvalov, co-founder and managing director of Yagody Karelii (Karelian Berries), said that “participating in Gulfood is a strategically important step for us, allowing to directly reach key players in the Asian and Middle Eastern markets. This year, we effectively presented our line of berries and berry products, held dozens of meetings, and strengthened relationships with existing partners. The support of Russian Export Center in the form of a joint pavilion was invaluable, ensuring professional organization and building trust in the Russian brand. This participation is already translating into specific contracts and strengthening our export position."

Dmitry Sukhov, Export Director at Donzernosnab LLC, said that "the results of participation in Gulfood exceeded our expectations. Most importantly, we were represented in a specialized pavilion, and this had an immediate impact: the quality of contacts and lead conversion were significantly higher. Such trips are a tremendously effective tool. In just one week, one can establish direct communication with partners from all over the world—no online searching or mailing can provide such a close interaction.” He expressed special thanks to Russian Export Center for perfect organization of the event, support and ability to focus on working with clients.

Alexey Klygin, co-founder and development director of SOJ healthy food manufacturer said that "the exhibition was extremely productive for the company. We held numerous meetings with partners with whom we had been negotiating for a long time – both from the Middle East and other regions. Right at the exhibition, we concluded several new contracts, signed three orders with retail chains, and two orders with new distributors with whom we had been in dialogue for over five months. We significantly expanded our pipeline of potential clients, which will allow us to increase export revenue several times as compared to last year."

Gulfood 2026, held in Dubai from January 26 to 30, brought together over 5,500 exhibitors from 195 countries, once again confirming its status of a key international platform for developing food export.

For those interested in upcoming business events and government support measures, REC offers the Events service on My Export platform. This section features business exhibitions and missions eligible for government support, taking place in the EAEU, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

For more information about Russian companies at the Made in Russia exhibition, please visit the website.

For more information about Made in Russia, please visit the official website.