RIYADH: The Food and Beverage Exhibition that concluded in Riyadh, Monday was a big hit with over 9,000 family visitors, said Maha Al-Malik, a Saudi businesswoman and head of the company that organized this first-time event. Suha Abu Daff, Sales and Marketing Director and co-partner of Al-Malik, said a number of Saudi businesswomen who used to run businesses from the confines of their homes, also participated so that they could get greater exposure. She said about 30 Saudi companies dealing in food products, baking, raw ingredients, herbs, herbal medicines, Saudi traditional food and different kinds of beverages took part in the event. The exhibition served as a platform for the launch of a number of products made in Saudi Arabia. “After the great success of the event, we are planning to organize the food and beverage exhibition on a larger scale,” said Abu Daff. She admitted that organizing the event was a difficult experience. “A number of companies backed out at the last moment for two reasons – inventory time or a lack of trust in a company run by businesswomen,” she said. The companies that did participate in the event appointed saleswomen to deal with family visitors, she said. “It was the first time a food and beverage exhibition was organized by a company headed by Saudi women and that was open for family-only visitors in Saudi Arabia.” “Over 20,000 members of families, mostly Saudis visited the show,” she said. Suha said Herfa, a Qassim-based non-governmental organization run by Saudi women, showcased traditional Saudi food. Herfa recently won an award from the Delegation of European Union in Saudi Arabia, she said. She said there are 539 food and beverage factories operating in the Kingdom in a market worth SR17 billion. Nafa Al-Tambakty, a naturopath executive manager of a company that deals in herbal products, said Saudi Arabia needs to introduce a subject at schools and colleges about the significance of naturopathy. “The percentage of obese people in the Kingdom is on the rise largely because of bad eating habits,” he said. The Saudi government has been working to introduce alternative medicines “but much more needs to be done to create awareness about the nutrition contained in food”, he said. He said a number of Saudis visited his stand enquiring about herbal medicine and food that could help them reduce weight. The fact is that many people are unaware of the nutritious value of the food they consume every day, he said.
