Manila, Philippines—The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) will jointly lead a business mission to the Middle East from February 7 to 21. The initiative will be the first major activity under their recently signed memorandum of agreement on Agriculture and Fisheries Export Development and Promotion.

The mission aims to expand market access and promote Philippine agricultural and fisheries exports and non-food products, while strengthening trade partnerships with Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Formalized during the 2024 National Export Congress, the DTI-DA partnership seeks to enhance the global competitiveness of Philippine agribusiness. This will be achieved by streamlining value chains, promoting value-added processing, and ensuring compliance with international standards. These efforts are consistent with the objectives of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the Philippine Export Development Plan 2023-2028.

There will be 26 Philippine exporters participating in this Outbound Business Matching Mission, gaining direct access to buyers, distributors, and industry leaders in the region. The delegation will present sourcing opportunities through store visits, supplier meetings, and business matching activities in Doha, Amman, Riyadh, and Dubai.

Furthermore, they will meet with key regulatory bodies, such as the Qatar Ministry of Public Health and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, to address market entry requirements and compliance issues.

The mission will culminate in Gulfood 2025, one of the world’s largest food and beverage sourcing event, showcasing the quality, sustainability, and competitiveness of Philippine exports.

The Philippine delegation invites buyers, distributors, and industry stakeholders to the business matching sessions and connect with Philippine exporters of high-quality frozen and fresh produce, processed food, and personal care products.

Business-to-business activities are scheduled in Doha on February 9, Amman on February 11, Riyadh on February 12 and Dubai on February 14. For inquiries, including queries related to scheduling of a meeting, please contact the Philippine Trade and Investment Centers (PTICs) in Dubai at dubai@dti.gov.ph or Riyadh at riyadh@dti.gov.ph. ♦

Date of release: 11 February 2025

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