Organic Majlis

A series of online roundtable conversations between international suppliers and regional buyer community to develop trade.

April - October 2023

MONTHLY MEETING FOR SUPPLIERS WITH
MARKET EXPERTS AND BUYERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Building new connections are crucial for a successful business. Connecting with trade buyers and importers in the Middle East is vital to ensure export success.

The Organic Majlis – MENA digital trade mission is your go-to platform to meet Middle East buyers looking to source organic and natural products from across the globe. Through the digital trade mission, achieve your export targets and meet with buyers in the Middle East, Africa & beyond.

PREVIOUS VIP Buyers


Dr. Ashraf Mahate

Chief Economist - Export Markets, Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai Industries and Exports


Michael Craig

General Manager, Ripe Organic


Pankaj Mamnani

Category Procurement Manager – Import division, SAFCO


Ismail Sarhan

Group Sales Manager, Al Seer Distribution (Fine fair food)


Leena Khalil

Chief Commercial Officer, mumzworld.com


Karen Wells

Brand Director, Kamal Osman Jamjoom Group (Mikyajy)


Gijo Jacob

Head - Distribution & Wholesale, Alfa One, Aster Pharmacies


Astrid Dando

CEO, Blossom Honey


Rashed Saif Al Bedawi

CEO, Foodya World, UAE


Bella Shah

Manager, Business Operations, Muscat Pharmaceutical Trading


Ananya Narayan

Managing Director, Hunter Foods


Dharmendra Mohnani

General Manager, West Zone Fresh Supermarket

Grandiose


James Scott

CEO, Grandiose Supermarket


Mohamed Al Madfai

CEO, Emirati Coffee Co.


Nishant Bhatia

Head of F&B Innovation, Costa Coffee


Tauland Hyka

Category Manager – Beverages, Chef Middle East


Zubair Ahmad

Head of marketing & international sales, Al Islami Foods


Kirti Meghnani

Head - Retail Procurement, Choithrams


Mohamed Tafseer

Head- Commercial and Business Development


Katarina Cheslarov

Founder & Managing Director, Midway Middle East

Dr. Ashraf Mahate

Chief Economist - Export Markets,
Department of Economy and Tourism

Monique Naval

Senior Analyst - Food and Nutrition
Euromonitor International

KEY MARKET SECTORS
IN FOCUS

WHY SHOULD YOU BE A PART OF THE
ORGANIC MAJLIS?

Real-time product presentations and pitches to buyers
Earn export benefits from gulf markets with the largest sourcing platform for organic products
Receive live product enquiries from relevant buyers and visitors through Arabian organics
Schedule real time 1-1 business meetings with precisely matched buyers

MAJLIS ATTENDEES

ONLINE TRADE SESSIONS THAT YOU MISSED

CHOOSE YOUR
MAJLIS SESSION

3.00-5.00pm
Vegan, Free from & keto – No longer a fad, rather a way of life. Are you actively involved in MENA’s veganism and free from journey?
3.00-5.00pm
Halal – Capturing opportunities in the halal market for organic & natural products
3.00-5.00pm
Clean, Natural beauty – Helping Middle East’s conscious millenials accelerate the shift to natural, clean beauty.
3.00-5.00pm
Organic cosmetics – Awareness and preference is at an all time high, the only roadblock? Availability and quality. Do you have products that fit the bill?
3.00-5.00pm
Specialty Tea & Coffee – Whether it’s the first thing in the morning, or a late night cold brew, Middle East loves it’s coffee and tea. With emerging re-export potential, how keen are you on expanding into the region?
3.00-5.00pm
Nutraceuticals, supplements & probiotics – Increasing health consciousness, preventative healthcare and a renewed focus on wellbeing has led to a massive surge in demand. Are you equipped to capture market share?
3.00-5.00pm
Ingredients – As the demand for organic food and beauty increases so does the demand for ingredients required to manufacture organic products. How crucial is the Middle East market for you?
3.00-5.00pm
Organic beverages – In a post-pandemic era, health & wellness has emerged on top leading to a thriving market for health based drinks. Are you looking to maximise your market share in the Middle East?
3.00-5.00pm
Functional food – Health & wellbeing fast emerges as priority, can you help MENA achieve it’s lifestyle goals?
3.00-5.00pm
Mom & child – The adoption of organic baby food in the Middle East is staggering with almost 50% of shelf space occupied by organic. As mothers grow conscious and ready to pay premium, how can you build trust?
3.00-5.00pm
Organic meat, poultry & dairy – With one of highest per-capita meat consumption in the world, Middle East’s meat market can’t get more lucrative. What are your plans to cater to this growing demand?
3.00-5.00pm
The spice wave- Middle East has always been a big consumer of spices, off late, the demand for various organic spices has gone through the roof. As demand heats up, what’s your export strategy to the region? Have you evaluated scope for re-export?
3.00-5.00pm
Organic, natural honey – Middle East’s staple, now replacing sugar. Are you ready to captilise on the spike in demand?
3.00-5.00pm
Sustainable & living products – Marching towards a better future, what’s in it for suppliers of eco-friendly products?
15:00 – 15:05 GST
Opening of the majlis and welcome remarks
15:05 – 15:10 GST
Opening remarks from webinar moderator
15:10 – 15:50 GST
Growth and trends within the organic and natural industry in the MENA region. In the past 4 years, there has been a 60% increase in shelf space in the MENA region. In 2022, the organic and natural F&B market is said to be worth $18.42 billion. Similarly, with natural and organic beauty, the per capita spend on beauty is more than 240$ in the region, a lot more than the global average and the market is currently valued at $5billion. With Dubai alone which is the world’s 3rd largest re-exporter having $546 billion worth of goods being sent out, Middle East is fast emerging as a global re-export hub.

The time is ripe for organic and natural, what will shape its future?
  • Understanding the GCC’s organic and natural consumption appetite along with it’s potential as a hub for re-export to the wider region.
  • Decoding the post-pandemic era – Helping conscious consumers achieve their healthy, sustainable, and clean-living goals through organic and natural products.
  • The role of technology such as blockchain and NFTs that will drive massive growth for the organic and natural community.
  • E-commerce – Redefining how organic products will be retailed and consumed, what can producers to do quickly adapt and stay agile during dynamic market conditions.
15:50 – 15:55 GST
Networking break
15:55 – 16:30 GST
Roadblocks, challenges, and opportunities for the organic and natural community in the coming decade. While the potential and demand for organic and natural products in the MENA region may be immense. It’s important to understand its complexity due to the diverse demographics. The right understanding of the market will ensure consumer demands are catered to and provide scope for further expansion

What will it take to crack the code?
  • Growth of organic labels across product categories and strengthening supplier relationships to launch and introduce new products in the region.
  • Organic and “What else?”, placing innovation and sustainability at the heart of organic and natural to ensure it’s sustained continued growth.
  • Strengthening existing supply chain, distribution and exploring new avenues for distribution to ensure product availability across all consumer touchpoint.
16.30 – 16:35 GST
Closing remarks by webinar moderator.
8:30 – 09:15 GST
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BE PART OF THE INNER CIRCLE WHEN IT COMES TO
ORGANIC TRADE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

WHAT WE HAVE DELIVERED SO FAR

44000+

Live buyer attendees

2800+

Pre scheduled live meetings

4366+

Product Enquiries delivered

“I think there’s huge potential for organic market expansion- there’s a great base of people from all over that are well educated and he means to buy organic. It’s a great market and it has a lot of potential. I think expo’s such as this are very important to get buyer out to meet suppliers.”

Melody Meyer Board President of Orgainc Trade Association

“I started receiving buyer leads immediately after I signed up. I connected with the buyers through pre-scheduled meetings and signed my 1st proforma Invoice of first order within 2 months. Never seen faster results at any other expo.”

Eng. Daniele Ruaro COO at DIAMOND LIFE

“We have found our market!
We found café chain owners and a lot of distributors from 7 countries so far at the expo. We had lucrative discussions using the Online B2B Platform that have opened a doorway into this region for our sustainable coffee products. We plan on bringing a larger contingency under a Papa New Guinea country pavilion next year.”

Emma Orea Director at ICP

“We used the Organic Digital Trade Platform to connect with about 11 buyers online and pre-scheduled meetings with them.There are a lot of business owners and key decision makers registered on the web portal. I am looking forward to connecting with them and doing business.”

Christopher K Tetteh Founder at Shea Butter Central

“While the demand for organic and natural has hiked this year, it has been a challenging year for businesses, and we needed a platform like the expo where we could keep the economy going. It is great to see how the show has explored online and offline opportunities to connect buyers and suppliers this year.”

Anamika Hans COO at Bevarabia

“The Digital Expo has enabled us to get in contact with interested buyers through the Live Product Demos and interactive tools on the portal. The organizers have been very effective in the matchmaking process and setting up face-to-face meetings.”

Serene Cha Business Director at Nature's Superfoods

“It was interesting to be a part of this format and it helped us understand the demand for our products in the region even better. The portal is an evolved platform for beauty brands like us in Europe, who are able to still make trade connections and conversations without any barriers.”

Sharon Raston Founder at Kukita

4X Export Growth

Live Product Demo

Online b2b Shop

Targeted Buyer List

Product Enquiries

35,000 Social Media

Product Launches

Dr. Ashraf Mahate

Chief Economist Dubai Industries and Exports

Dr. Ashraf Mahate is currently the Chief Economist at Dubai Industries and Exports, which is the industrial development and trade promotion organisation within the Emirate of Dubai and an agency of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism part of the Government of Dubai. In his current capacity, Dr. Mahate provides econometric analysis, evidence-based policy design and development, information and advice to key decision makers that promotes a structured as well as detailed understanding of industrial development and trade policy’s role in economic growth, diversification and development of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. Dr. Mahate is responsible for overseeing thought leadership within Dubai Industries and Exports in the areas of Industrial development, trade, trade policy, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.

As a professional economist with high-level management experience in the region, Dr. Mahate is an advisor to the SME sector, especially in the area of trade.

Monique Naval

Senior Analyst, Food and NutritionEuromonitor International

Monique is a Senior Analyst with Euromonitor International in the UAE. In her current role, she is part of the global Food and Nutrition team that provides strategic recommendations to the world’s largest FMCG companies, shaping the food industry. She is the Dairy Products and Alternatives global project lead and the Food and Nutrition regional lead for Middle East and North Africa. She actively engages with main industry players, creates datasets, authors annual reports, and is regularly featured in both local and international media outlets. A seasoned speaker, she has delivered keynote presentations in international conferences and webinars such as Gulfood, Organic and Natural Expo, Anuga, ISM, and ‘More than Food’ webinar hosted by the European Union.

Kirti Meghnani

Kirti manages the procurement for one of the largest retail groups within the region – Choithrams Group. He has spent over three decades across various divisions within the group, steering its journey of success from one milestone to another. Commencing with IT and then moving onto Logistics and Distribution in 1995, followed by a five-year stint in inventory management, he was named the Head of Merchandising in 2008 and Assistant Retail Manager in 2010. In 2012, he went on to become the Group Procurement Manager and has since then remained at the helm of sourcing for the renowned organization.