Record participation among Norwegian exporters at this year's Gulfood

Tripling of seafood exports to the Gulf states

^ Photo: Louis Guaidamos from Norwegian Seafood, Ingelill Jacobsen from the Seafood Council, Lisa Marie Grøndahl from Norwegian Seafood, Trond Håvard Glomnes Rudi, Council of Ministers at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Mounir Achalhi from Sjór, participated in Gulfood 2024 in Dubai. Photo: NSC

Since the trade agreement with EFTA and GCC* entered into force on 1 July 2014, there has been a tripling of seafood exports to the region from a modest 7,800 tonnes in 2014 to 23,600 tonnes in 2023. Measured in value, the growth corresponds to 475 percent, from 375 thousand to 2 .1 million in 2023.

"The export of Norwegian seafood to the Gulf states goes mainly to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and it is in particular salmon, mackerel, trout and king crab that are exported", explains Ingelill Jacobsen, who is project manager for the Middle East at the Norwegian Seafood Council.

Earlier this winter, Jacobsen was together with 44 Norwegian exporters at the largest food fair in the region - Gulfood in Dubai

Strong position

Gulfood is an important fair for all food in the region, including seafood. It is also a meeting place for exporters and importers from India, Asia and Africa.

"The strong growth in seafood exports to the region is mainly due to a population with strong purchasing power who are concerned about health and wellness. Norwegian seafood has been present for several years and has built up a strong position in the market", Jacobsen said.

The market share of Norwegian salmon in the Emirates is high, 75 percent, and knowledge of Norwegian salmon among those who eat seafood is over 50 percent.

In Saudi Arabia, the market share is even higher, at 98 percent, while awareness is 41 percent.

Record participation among Norwegian exporters at this year's Gulfood

Since 2015, the Seafood Council has been present at fairs in Dubai, except during the pandemic years, and this year's food fair had a record number of registrants. 21 companies with a total of 44 people made the trip to Dubai and the Seafood Council's joint stand at the Gulfood fair.

The Seafood Council brought VR glasses so that the visitors could see some of the origins of Norwegian seafood.

The Seafood Council's Global Operations trainee, Sofie Kathrine Marhaug proudly showed off to those who wanted a virtual look. Photo: NSC

Important meeting place

That the fair was an important meeting place for exporters, four of this year's fair participants can say more about:

Linda Jensen at Lerøy Seafood works as Key Account Manager for customers in the Middle East. She works with frozen processed products (VAP) and visited Gulfood for the first time in 2023.

"After good experiences at the fair last year, which paid off with many new customers, I made the trip to Gulfood this year as well. I should of course have the market to myself, but I recommend others who work towards the Middle East to make the trip here", says Jensen with a twinkle in his eye.

"It is a very good meeting point for getting in touch with new and established customers. During this year's fair, there was great demand for whole frozen salmon, but also fillets and pelagic products. Many also demanded processed products", Jensen concludes.

Front: Anne Marie Våge Solheim from Coast Seafood, Peter Alexandersen from the Seafood Council and Linda Jensen from Lerøy Seafood. Photo: NSC

Bodil Davidsen , is Sales Director at Williksen Export and has participated in the fair last year and several times before.

"Increasingly more seafood is being eaten in the region and I think it is important to be present. Despite the fact that the fair could have lasted a day less, three rather than four days, it is absolutely worth the trip. This year there was great demand for whole salmon and fresh salmon fillets. There is also interest in king crab, scallops and whitefish", says Davidsen.

Fv: Bodil Davidsen from Williksen Export and Christian Eknes Lie from Coast Seafood at the Seafood Council's joint stand during Gulfood 2024. Photo: NSC

Eunjin Choi is Sales Manager at Bergen Seafood. She visited the fair for the first time and was overwhelmed by how big the fair was on the exhibitor side and how many people visited it.

"Gulfood is a meeting point for many nations from all over the world, also outside the region. There was good demand for salmon, both whole frozen and processed products, so it is an interesting market for us", says Choi.

Fv: Eunjin Choi and Sofia Akhmadullina from Bergen Seafood. Photo: NSC

Cathrin Rabben , sales manager at Ode participated for the second time at Gulfood.

"We are here to visit established customers in the region, and to get in touch with some new ones. It is important to be present, also to see what is happening in store, meet the customers and take the pulse of the market. This year I feel that the customers are concerned with stability. They want Norwegian seafood present and available every day all year round. And that is important for building the category for Norwegian seafood as a whole", says Rabben.

Former Cathrin Rabben, Else Nalbant and Ola Kvalheim from Ode Gulfood 2024. Photo: Ode

Store campaign with Norwegian trout

In addition to a joint stand at the fair itself, the Seafood Council carried out a store campaign with Norwegian trout in 15 supermarkets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The Seafood Council also carried out a store campaign for Norwegian trout in 15 supermarkets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Photo: NSC

"The campaign ran over three weekends and was very successful. The supermarket chain also asked to continue with taste tests on its own initiative afterwards", says Jacobsen.

 *Facts about the Gulf Council: The GCC, the Gulf Cooperation Council, consists of six Arab states on the Persian Gulf that cooperate on a number of economic and social goals. Norway cooperates with the Gulf Council through EFTA and a trade agreement between EFTA and the GCC was negotiated in 2008, signed in 2009 and entered into force on 1 July 2014. The Gulf Council consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates Emirates (UAE).

Source: Norwegian Seafood Council (translated from original in norwegian)

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