From 26 t0o 30 January 2026, Rwanda participated in the annual Gulfood Exhibition, a premier international event for vegetables, fruits and flowers held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The country was represented by the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) along with Rwandan producers seeking to expand their products to international markets.

While in Dubai, the CEO of NAEB held a meaningful engagement with Mr. Mussab Aboud, the CEO of Grandiose, a food and grocery retailer under the Ghassan Aboud Group, which operates 47 outlets across the UAE.

The discussion focused on establishing a long-term partnership to distribute Rwandan products, including coffee, flowers, avocados, and other fresh produce, through Grandiose’s extensive retail network.

Attending Gulfood offers Rwanda a valuable platform to boost exports of fresh produce, particularly vegetables, fruits, and flowers, to countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

Statistics indicate that around 90% of the country’s avocado exports are destined for the United Arab Emirates, and shipments of other fruits, especially seasonal varieties, are growing steadily.

Bilateral trade ties between Rwanda and the UAE continue to deepen. In 2023, the two countries recorded $1.1 billion in total trade, underscoring the strategic value of strengthening access to markets across the Arab Gulf.

Gulfood 2026 brought together over 8,500 exhibitors from 195 countries across more than 280,000 m², effectively doubling its floor space compared to last year.