Malaysia’s Gulfood participation generated RM1.76bil in export sales, surpassing targets, with 118 Malaysian exhibitors driving strong global demand
THE Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) reported that Malaysia’s participation in the 31st edition of Gulfood generated a record-breaking RM1.76bil in total export sales, surpassing the initial target of RM1.5bil.
Held from Jan 26 to 30 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), this year’s event marked a historic milestone as Malaysia’s largest-ever participation.
The total export sales reflect a 5.4% increase from the RM1.67bil recorded in 2025, driven by strong demand for palm oil-based products, beverages, processed foods, sauces and health supplements.
Matrade successfully coordinated the participation of 118 Malaysian exhibitors, a significant increase of 31% from 90 in the previous year.
This effort was bolstered by the collaboration of nine government ministries and agencies, including the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM), Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (Kuskop), SME Bank, the Malaysia Co-operative Societies Commission (SKM), Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), the Malaysia Pineapple Industrial Board (MPIB), the Ministry of Industrial Development Sabah (MIDS) and the Penang Regional Development Authority (Perda).
This cooperation aligns with the aspiration of the Export Coordination Committee (JK-X), a national platform that brings ministries and agencies to work in sync, pool resources and streamline support for exporters. By presenting a unified country pavilion, the initiative strengthens Malaysia’s collective brand presence, creates stronger visibility and greater export opportunities for Malaysian companies.
A key catalyst for this year’s exceptional performance was the Malaysia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which officially entered into force in October 2025. This landmark agreement will be able to enhance the competitiveness of Malaysian products by eliminating or reducing tariffs on substantially all qualifying goods.
“The success is a result of months of preparations and coordination that require all parties to streamline the strategies to elevate Malaysian brands in a unified manner.
“As Gulfood is the first export promotion programme undertaken by Matrade for 2026, the results will set the tone for the rest of the 52 promotion programmes to be carried by Matrade this year,” he added.
Matrade chief executive officer Abu Bakar Yusof said, “The historic sales figure of RM1.76bil is a validation of CEPA’s impact on our trade relations although it is still in the early stages.
“By deepening economic cooperation, reducing trade barriers and broadening market access, the agreement has empowered our Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and exporters to offer more competitive pricing and faster delivery to buyers in the UAE as well as the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. Malaysian companies are encouraged to leverage this preferential access to secure larger business deals and strengthen their footprint in the region and beyond.”
Looking ahead, the 32nd edition of Gulfood is scheduled for March 15 to 19, 2027.
Matrade remains committed to coordinating larger participation to accelerate the nation’s F&B exports and ensure Malaysia remains a preferred sourcing hub for the region.
In anticipation of growing interest from Malaysian exporters, Matrade is exploring the expansion of Malaysia’s pavilion to accommodate stronger participation, capture rising demand and further accelerate export growth in the region.
To know more, download a PDF copy of the Gulfood 2026 Star Special here.
