Global Food Week 2026 to run in Abu Dhabi from 6-8 October with India as Guest of Honour
In short
Global Food Week 2026 is set to run from 6 to 8 October at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, organised by ADNEC Group in strategic partnership with ADAFSA. Gulf News reported the edition will bring 2,580 exhibitors and brands from 92 countries and will introduce a business-to-consumer model for the first time, while WAM said India will participate as Guest of Honour. The second Global Food Security Summit runs alongside the exhibition, with FAO and WOAH among the international participants.
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Global Food Week 2026 is scheduled to run from 6 to 8 October at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, organised by ADNEC Group in strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), according to WAM and Aletihad. Gulf News reported the event is held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and described it as the largest edition to date. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
Gulf News reported the edition will bring 2,580 exhibitors and brands from 92 countries. It said the event introduces a business-to-consumer model for the first time, letting members of the public meet producers, discover their products and buy them on site, alongside an enhanced Shop to Show feature that allows local and international exhibitors to sell directly. Badr Hassan Al Shihi, director of the communications and community engagement department at ADAFSA, said the approach brings “business, investment and trade alongside a direct consumer experience”, according to Gulf News. [ 1 ]
WAM reported that the new Shop at the Show visitor experience will be introduced for the first time and that India will take part as Guest of Honour, reflecting what the agency described as strong strategic ties between the UAE and India. India's participation centres on a dedicated pavilion serving as a meeting point for Indian companies, brands and exporters to connect with government entities, buyers, investors and food-security leaders, and spans food and agriculture, exports and market access, retail and logistics, packaging and technology, and finance and investment. Gulf News also reported India as Guest of Honour ahead of the event. [ 2 , 3 ]
Gulf News reported that the second edition of the Global Food Security Summit will run alongside the exhibition, convening governments, multilateral institutions and private-sector leaders, with a programme focused on moving food systems “from resilience towards readiness” for future disruptions and speakers from 30 countries expected. It also reported the launch of ACCESS Abu Dhabi, where more than 150 award-winning Emirati farmers, livestock breeders and beekeepers will present their products to buyers, investors and the public, and an inaugural Abu Dhabi Honey Symposium organised with Apimondia. [ 1 ]
Aletihad, in a report credited to WAM, said the FAO, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the FAO Policy Majlis will take part in discussions on advancing food security and accelerating agrifood systems transformation. It reported that a WOAH GCC & Africa Workshop will convene experts and policymakers to explore technical and trade cooperation between the two regions and to work on institutional and animal health frameworks, and that the event will also feature a youth programme, YALAFAST. [ 5 ]
For scale, Gulf News reported that the 2025 edition of the event saw 58 agreements worth AED 6.6 billion. The documents do not state what agreements or values organisers expect from the 2026 edition. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The event is a government-backed platform that gathers food and agriculture officials, investors and companies in Abu Dhabi, so its agenda sets the terms for food-security and agritech cooperation the UAE is promoting internationally. India's role as Guest of Honour, reported by the state news agency, points to the UAE-India food and agriculture relationship being given a dedicated venue for business and institutional contacts. A first-time consumer-facing element extends the exhibition beyond trade visitors, though the documents give no indication of expected deal volumes for this edition.
Key facts
- Global Food Week 2026 is scheduled for 6 to 8 October at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
- The event is organised by ADNEC Group in strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA). [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
- India will participate as Guest of Honour, with a dedicated pavilion for Indian companies, brands and exporters. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Gulf News reported the edition will bring 2,580 exhibitors and brands from 92 countries and is the largest edition to date. [ 1 ]
- A business-to-consumer model and the Shop at the Show experience are introduced for the first time, letting exhibitors sell directly to visitors. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The second Global Food Security Summit runs alongside the exhibition, with speakers from 30 countries expected. [ 1 ]
- The FAO, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the FAO Policy Majlis are among the international organisations taking part, according to Aletihad, which carried the WAM report. [ 5 ]
- Gulf News reported the 2025 edition saw 58 agreements worth AED 6.6 billion. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Global Food Week 2026 takes place from 6 to 8 October at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
- The event is organised by ADNEC Group in strategic partnership with ADAFSA. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
- India is the Guest of Honour at the 2026 edition. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The 2026 edition introduces a consumer-facing element allowing exhibitors to sell directly on site. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the figure of 2,580 exhibitors and brands from 92 countries is final. The numbers appear only in the Gulf News report; WAM and Aletihad do not give exhibitor or country figures.
- What deal values or agreements organisers expect from the 2026 edition. The documents cite only the 2025 edition's 58 agreements worth AED 6.6 billion and do not state expectations for this year.
- What specific business or government outcomes India's Guest of Honour participation will produce. WAM describes the pavilion and sectors involved but the documents name no agreements or participants.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Gulf News publishes its preview of Global Food Week 2026, reporting 2,580 exhibitors and brands from 92 countries, the first-time business-to-consumer model and the programme of the second Global Food Security Summit (2 October). [ 1 ]
- WAM announces the new Shop at the Show experience and India as Guest of Honour for the 6-8 October event (2 October). [ 2 ]
- Gulf News reports the event returns to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday with India as Guest of Honour (2 October). [ 3 ]
- WAM reports that Global Food Week 2026 will bring together international organisations and initiatives (3 October). [ 4 ]
- Aletihad carries the report naming the FAO, WOAH and the FAO Policy Majlis among participants and the WOAH GCC & Africa Workshop (3 October). [ 5 ]