Gulfood Exhibition returns to Dubai from Monday, 26 January 2026 to Friday, 30 January 2026, running across Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai. Dubai World Trade Centre is on Sheikh Zayed Road, Convention Gate, Trade Centre, Dubai, P.O. Box 9292, and the main customer care line is +971 4 389 3999. For venue help, you can also call 800 DWTC (3982), while Expo City Dubai support 800 39762489 can assist with Dubai Exhibition Centre access and on-site services. Organisers list show hours as 10:00am to 6:00pm from Monday to Thursday, then 10:00am to 5:00pm on Friday.
Now in its fourth decade, Gulfood has grown from a specialist trade gathering into one of the region’s most influential sourcing weeks, and it still keeps a tight business-first identity. The event began in 1987, and Dubai’s rise as a logistics and hospitality hub helped the show scale alongside the city. This year’s format pushes that growth further by spreading the footprint across two major sites, so buyers can cover more categories without compressing meetings into a single campus. Gulfood positions itself as trade-focused, so it plays best for procurement teams, importers, distributors, chefs, hotel groups, and investors who want structured discovery rather than casual tasting. Meanwhile, the organiser messaging for 2026 highlights a larger international mix, with headline numbers reaching 8,500+ exhibitors and 195 countries, plus a broader product pipeline.
Two venues, one expanded footprint
At Dubai World Trade Centre, Gulfood spreads through Al Multaqua Ballroom, Exhibition Plaza, Hall 1 to 8, Pavilion, Sheikh Maktoum Hall, Sheikh Rashid Hall, Sheikh Saeed Hall 1 to 3, Trade Centre Arena, and Za’abeel Hall 1 to 6, so you should plan your day around zones, not just “a quick loop.” If you have supplier meetings, lock your hall sequence early, because crossing between Za’abeel and the core halls can eat time during peak hours. Over at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, the event programming anchors in the dedicated exhibition campus, and you may see location references such as Dubai Exhibition Center, D05 depending on the listing and pass type. As a result, many visitors split their week: they run discovery laps early, then they use later days for second meetings and contract details.
Who it suits and how to pace the week
Because organisers label the show trade-only, it generally suits industry visitors rather than casual food explorers (not suitable for children, not a family day out). However, it works well for couples who both work in F&B or hospitality (suitable for couples) and for solo founders who need fast networking (suitable for solo). If you want maximum coverage, start Monday, 26 January 2026 with a broad scan, then use Tuesday and Wednesday to revisit the most promising aisles while calendars still have gaps. Meanwhile, Thursday often becomes the strongest day for serious negotiations, because you will have already filtered suppliers. Finally, Friday, 30 January 2026 closes earlier, so you should treat it as a wrap-up day for pickups, final tastings, and last signatures rather than major discovery.
Sector strategy for sourcing and innovation
For 2026, the organiser positioning emphasises 12 sectors and a bigger spread that leans into innovation themes, including Startups and supply chain-adjacent concepts such as logistics and smarter trade flows. So, if you buy for retail, build your plan around brand clusters and packaging readiness, then pivot into trend scouting once you have covered essentials. On the other hand, if you buy for hotels and restaurants, prioritise reliability, lead times, and menu consistency, then use the innovation areas for “next season” ideas. If you come as an investor or entrepreneur, schedule short meetings back-to-back, because you will learn more from ten focused conversations than one long wandering lap. Bring a clear shortlist and a firm meeting rhythm, because this show rewards preparation more than spontaneity.
Getting there from across the UAE
If you drive to Dubai World Trade Centre, expect heavy traffic around Sheikh Zayed Road during weekday morning arrivals, especially Monday, 26 January and Tuesday, 27 January when attendance energy runs high. Paid parking operates in and around the campus, so arriving before mid-morning can reduce both walking distance and queue time. Meanwhile, organisers point visitors to multiple transport options, including a nearby metro station, taxis, buses, and paid parking, which helps when road congestion builds. For Expo City Dubai, the metro connection can also be practical, and the Expo City rail stop sits close to the exhibition zone, so you can avoid long parking searches when peak sessions hit. If you come from Abu Dhabi, consider leaving after the morning rush and returning after early evening, while Sharjah visitors often do better by arriving earlier and leaving later to avoid the busiest border-flow windows.
On-the-ground weather and access notes for Gulfood week
Dubai’s late-January forecast looks stable and mild across the run, with mostly sunny to hazy sun conditions expected from Monday, 26 January 2026 through Friday, 30 January 2026, and daytime highs roughly 23°C to 26°C with evenings around 15°C to 17°C. So, you can dress light for outdoor walks between venues, yet you should still pack a thin layer for strong indoor air-conditioning. Plan for traffic and parking pressure during morning arrivals, and consider metro or taxis when you expect back-to-back meetings. For DWTC access, organisers highlight metro, taxi stands, bus stops, and paid parking, and they note taxis start at AED 5, or AED 12 if pre-booked in some cases. Ticket and badge pricing can shift by phase, yet public promotions have shown approximately AED 380 for early-bird style passes, while other tiers may run higher, including listings that start around approximately AED 450 depending on access and timing. Buy only through GULFOOD OFFICIAL REGISTRATION and DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE channels, and treat third-party resellers cautiously. According to notes compiled in the style of the editor at www.few.ae, the smartest visit comes from pairing early arrivals with pre-booked meetings, then using quieter late afternoons for follow-ups and deal paperwork.
then "Add to Home Screen"