Gulfood 2027 Exhibitor Guide: March Dates, Dubai World Trade Centre and Expo City Venues, Sectors and 2026 Results

Gulfood 2027, the show's 32nd edition, runs from 15 to 19 March 2027 in Dubai, according to the official Gulfood website. The food and beverage sourcing show spreads across Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) at Expo City Dubai. Dubai World Trade Centre, which runs both venues, organises Gulfood.

Gulfood 2027 key facts

Gulfood 2027 also appears in our defence, aerospace and technology show calendar, which lists other shows in Dubai and beyond.

Gulfood 2027 dates and opening hours

Gulfood 2027 runs for five days, from 15 to 19 March 2027. The show timings on the official website give the same hours for both venues.

The organiser's pages give these dates and venues for the last three editions:

Gulfood 2027 venues: Dubai World Trade Centre and Expo City Dubai

Gulfood 2027 runs across both of Dubai World Trade Centre's venues. DWTC's press release of 9 September 2026 names the first as Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), in the Central Business District. The second is Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), at Expo City Dubai. Gulfood's own pages call the first venue Dubai World Trade Centre.

Gulfood 2026 was the first edition to run across both venues, says the organiser's Gulfood Story page. DWTC reports that Phase 1 of the DEC expansion was delivered in early 2026. "The expanded venue hosted Gulfood and World Health Expo as its first major events," says the same DWTC release. Our WHX Dubai guide covers World Health Expo (WHX) Dubai.

The official Gulfood 2027 floor plan on the home page names the halls in use. At DWTC, it shows the Za'abeel Halls, Halls 1 to 8 and Trade Centre Arena. It also shows Sheikh Saeed Halls 1 to 3, Sheikh Maktoum Hall and Sheikh Rashid Hall. At DEC, Gulfood 2027 uses the South Halls and the North Halls, with the Arrival Plaza between them and Al Wasl Plaza in front.

Gulfood 2027 sectors by venue and hall

Gulfood 2027 is organised into 12 sourcing sectors. According to the official Gulfood 2027 floor plan, seven of them are at DWTC and five at DEC. The table uses the sector and hall names as written on that plan.

Getting to Gulfood 2027 and travelling between the two venues

The organiser's Plan Your Trip page calls the metro its "recommended mode of transport" for Gulfood 2027. World Trade Centre Station serves Dubai World Trade Centre, and Expo 2020 Station serves Dubai Exhibition Centre. Multi-journey NOL cards are available at all metro stations. End-to-end travel between the two venues by metro takes about 50 minutes, according to the organiser.

Free inter-venue shuttle buses run from 8am to 7pm on all show days, every 15 minutes. At DWTC, they pick up at Exhibition Plaza and Convention Gate. At DEC, they leave from the free shuttle bus pick-up point.

Metered taxis are available at the Taxi Hub at both venues. App bookings with Careem, Uber, Bolt and Yango are supported. Ride pick-up points are Al Mustaqbal Parking, ground level, at DWTC and the South Pavilion Entrance at DEC.

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is about 10 to 15 minutes from DWTC by taxi or metro, says the organiser. The same airport is around 45 to 50 minutes from DEC. Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) is 15 to 20 minutes from DEC by car, and around 45 to 60 minutes from DWTC.

Big Deal Hub matchmaking at Gulfood 2027

The Big Deal Hub is Gulfood's matchmaking programme, according to its page on the official website. It matches buyers with exhibitors and books one-to-one meetings before the show opens. The page names retailers, distributors, caterers and manufacturers among the buyers.

At Gulfood 2026, the Big Deal Hub booked 2,540 meetings, with 688 Premium buyers and 103 countries represented, according to the organiser.

Gulfood 2027 features, conference stages and awards

The Gulfood 2027 home page lists four features: Big Deal Hub, Gulfood Startups, Future Food 500 and Excellence Awards. It presents Future Food 500 under the line "Shaping the future of food", and the Excellence Awards under "Celebrating the best in food". The official Gulfood 2027 floor plan places the Startup Zone at Dubai Exhibition Centre.

The Gulfood 2026 agenda pages show how the last programme was spread across the two venues:

At Gulfood 2026, the Gulfood World Economy Summit opened with a closed-door session led by the Dubai International Chamber. It "brought together over 400 representatives from international food and beverage companies", according to the organiser. The 2026 Gulfood Innovation Awards named winners across 11 categories, including Best Packaging Design and Best Logistics Solution.

Gulfood 2026 in numbers

Gulfood 2026, the 31st edition, ran from 26 to 30 January 2026. It was the first edition held across both Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai Exhibition Centre.

The figures come from the Gulfood Story page, the Big Deal Hub page and Gulfood releases of 27 and 28 January 2026. For comparison, Gulfood 2025, the 30th edition, drew 5,500 exhibitors and 144,003 visitors at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Gulfood history: from Gulf Food in 1987 to the 32nd edition

The organiser's Gulfood Story page and home page timeline trace the show back to 1987. The Story page describes the 2005 edition as "the last before the show became annual".

Other events also carry the Gulfood name. DWTC's release of 9 September 2026 lists Gulfood Manufacturing among its October 2026 events. A Gulfood release of 28 January 2026 reported the launch of Gulfood360 Africa/Kenya, "extending the platform into a new continent".

Gulfood 2027 stands by Orchestra Media

Orchestra Media is headquartered in Dubai, and Gulfood is one of the key shows covered by our UAE office.

We start with one question: what must this show make possible for your business? Your objectives then guide the decisions.

Defence and aerospace are our roots, and we design and build stands across industries.

Our services cover stand design and build, multimedia, logistics and hospitality.

We know the show. We build your advantage.

Exhibiting at Gulfood 2027? Book a consultation with our team.

How we compiled this guide

We compiled this guide from official sources only. These are the Gulfood website, its official Gulfood 2027 floor plan, Gulfood press releases and a Dubai World Trade Centre press release. We checked every source on 9 November 2026. Details can change, so check the official Gulfood website before travelling.

Sources

• Gulfood official website, home page (2027 edition, dates, show timings, 12 sectors, features, organiser, history timeline): https://www.gulfood.com/
• Official Gulfood 2027 floor plan on the home page (sectors and halls by venue): https://cdn.asp.events/CLIENT_Dubai_Wo_4B15F265_5056_B739_54F3125D47F0BC95/sites/gulfood-2027/media/floorplan_icons2.jpg
• Gulfood, The Gulfood Story (editions, 1987 to 2027, Gulfood 2026 figures): https://www.gulfood.com/story
• Gulfood, Plan Your Trip (metro, shuttle buses, taxis, parking, airports): https://www.gulfood.com/plan-trip
• Gulfood, Big Deal Hub (matchmaking programme, 2026 figures): https://www.gulfood.com/bigdealhub
• Gulfood, Useful Information (Gulfood 2025 dates and venue): https://www.gulfood.com/useful-info
• Gulfood, Gulfood World Economy Summit 2026 agenda: https://www.gulfood.com/gulfood-world-economy-summit-1
• Gulfood, Future Food500 2026 agenda: https://www.gulfood.com/food500-agenda
• Gulfood, Gulfood NXT Stage 2026 agenda: https://www.gulfood.com/gulfood-nxt-stage
• Gulfood, Dubai World Cuisine 2026 agenda: https://www.gulfood.com/dubaiworldcuisine-agenda
• Gulfood release, 27 January 2026, "Gulfood 2026 Delivers Landmark Two-Venue Success, Uniting Global Food Trade at Record Scale" (World Economy Summit session): https://www.gulfood.com/insights/gulfood-2026-delivers-landmark-two-venue-success-uniting-global-food-trade-record-scale-2s0v
• Gulfood release, 28 January 2026, "Gulfood Cemented as a Strategic Pillar of the UAE's Food Economy and a Global Engine for Agri-Trade" (Innovation Awards, Gulfood360 Africa/Kenya): https://www.gulfood.com/insights/gulfood-cemented-strategic-pillar-uaes-food-economy-global-engine-agri-trade
• Dubai World Trade Centre press release, 9 September 2026, "DWTC Sets Out Q4 Business Events Outlook as DEC Expansion Advances" (venue names, DEC Phase 1, Gulfood Manufacturing): https://www.dwtc.com/en/press/dwtc-sets-out-q4-business-events-outlook-as-dec-expansion-advances/
• Orchestra Media, Global presence (UAE office shows): https://orchestra.media/global-presence