Abu Dhabi's Global Food Week is scheduled to run from 6 to 8 October 2026 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, and this year it adds something new: Shop at the Show, where visitors can buy honey, dates and other produce direct from exhibitors. It is a preview rather than a report, as the opening had not been confirmed in the sources read when this was written.
The addition turns a trade event into something a member of the public can use. For the UAE, whose food-security agenda has long been discussed at policy level, it is a way to make that agenda visible to shoppers.
Who is behind it
The week is organised by ADNEC Group, a Modon company, in strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA). It is held under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court and Chairman of ADAFSA.
On sourcing, Gulf News is independent. The Pro Chef ME article on the event was labelled sponsored, so its figures and quotations are attributed to the organisers' side.
The 2025 edition, according to The Pro Chef ME, had more than 2,000 exhibitors and brands from 75 countries, over 40,000 visitors and AED 6.6 billion in agreements. The Pro Chef ME bills the 2026 edition as the largest yet.
What shoppers can do
Shop at the Show. New for 2026, it lets visitors buy food, beverages, honey, dates and agricultural products directly from exhibitors.
Farmers Market. A market selling fresh produce and products directly from UAE farmers and producers.
World Gourmet Show. Live cooking by chefs who use the exhibitors' ingredients, so visitors can see how the products are used.
Honey Tasting Station. A tasting area linked to a dedicated honey exhibition with Apimondia, the international beekeeping federation.
Abu Dhabi Honey Symposium. A symposium on honey, with a field day on 8 October.
Taken together, these turn what is usually a business-to-business setting into one where an ordinary visitor can buy, taste and ask questions. Honey and dates are natural choices: both are central to Gulf hospitality and gifting, and both are products where provenance matters.
India as Guest of Honour
India is the Guest of Honour, with a dedicated pavilion and a showcase of Indian cuisine and culture. India and the Gulf share long-standing food links, from spices and rice to the cooks who work in the region's kitchens, and the pavilion places those connections at the centre of the week.
The sources read do not list the dishes or demonstrations in the pavilion, so those details are best checked on arrival.
The policy side
The week also has a policy programme. The second Global Food Security Summit runs from 6 to 7 October and, for the first time, adds a business-to-consumer element, according to The Pro Chef ME and Gulf News. The FAO and the Gulf sub-regional office of the World Organisation for Animal Health take part, and an FAO Policy Majlis and a Farmers Majlis are on the programme. The Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation is linked to the event.
Food security has been a national priority in the UAE, and the country has set out a National Food Security Strategy 2051. Global Food Week is one place where that strategy meets the public.
What the organisers say
Dr Tariq Ahmed Al Ameri, Acting Director General of ADAFSA, said the authority continues to consolidate its role as a strategic partner in the event. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of ADNEC Group, said Global Food Week has become a landmark event in Abu Dhabi's efforts to position itself as a global hub. Dr Abdelouahhab Alboukhari Zaid, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award, said the week embodies the UAE's vision of strengthening its position as a global centre for innovation.
These statements come from the organisers' side, and they describe aims rather than results. The test will be visitor numbers and the products on sale, neither of which the sources read could report.
Planning a visit
- Dates: 6 to 8 October 2026.
- Venue: ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi.
- New this year: Shop at the Show, with honey, dates and produce sold direct.
- Also on: Farmers Market, World Gourmet Show, Honey Tasting Station, India pavilion.
- Honey field day: 8 October.
Opening hours, ticket arrangements and prices were not stated in the sources read, so confirm them with ADNEC before going.
Why it matters
A food-security agenda can seem abstract. At Global Food Week it is a stall of dates, a honey tasting, a farmer behind a table. The UAE's farmers are given a direct route to buyers, and shoppers learn where their food comes from.
For Abu Dhabi, the event also comes ahead of a busy month for its food scene: the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 ceremony is scheduled to be held in the city in November. Whatever the final numbers, the week shows how the country is linking policy, producers and the public.
The UAE's food-security agenda is, for three days, something a visitor can taste and carry home.
Sources: Gulf News, The Pro Chef ME