Saudi Arabia is marching forward with focus on self-sufficiency in food, and making concerted efforts to decrease the import of food to the Kingdom, according to Hassan Obied M. Sangof, assistant to the director general of the department of agriculture in the Western Region, Ministry of Agriculture. Sangof inaugurated the 15th International Food, Hotel, Propac Arabia (FHP Arabia) show, on behalf of the minister of agriculture, at the Jeddah Center for Forums & Events on Sunday. Sangof said that Saudi Arabia is importing food and it is always keen to decrease dependence on imports. He stressed the Kingdom has all along made lot of progress in various fields and sectors achieving what were largely or totally absent in the years gone by. He added that the Kingdom is keen to achieve national food security as well and is going all out to make a success of it. According to him success is no stranger to the Kingdom in any field and he was confident its efforts will be crowned with success in this vital area as well. Food worth $10 billion is imported annually. To minimize this to a great extent, Saudi Arabia is involved in strengthening its domestic resources, which are capable of providing 40 percent of its dietary needs. The rest is imported from more than 200 countries. In its constant efforts at food self-sufficiency, Saudi Arabia has been reportedly seeking to invest in farms in Thailand, the world's largest rice exporter, to help secure its long-term supply. A notable feature of the FHP Arabia was that from the moment go the exhibitors were excited, active and full of enthusiasm and fully prepared to welcome and answer queries from visitors, unlike some expos where one could find booths still being prepared on the opening day. Food Arabia covers food and beverages and catering, Hotel Arabia encompasses hotel equipment, supplies and services, and Propac Arabia includes processing, packaging, canning, bottling, labeling and plastics. The Kingdom's packaging and processing market is buoyant with great opportunities for suppliers of services, systems, equipment and logistics. More than 600 new packaging and processing plants are scheduled to be built in the next five years. Two interesting features of the Food and Hotel Arabia show are the Top Chef contest and the Art de Table competition. Jointly organized by ACE and Saudi Arabian Chef Association, Top Chef has become a popular feature of the exhibition and is showcasing live culinary skills at the highest level by chefs selected from the finest hotels and restaurants. In Art de Table contestants from leading hotels and restaurants are displaying the fine skills of table display. First staged during the2002 edition, Top Arabia attracts chefs eager to display their culinary skills and win the award. Art de Table, introduced in 2006, has hotels and restaurants compete for the award of best table display.
