S.Korea aims to double agri exports to UAE

Sajjad Ahmad, Deputy Business Editor

Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT Center) hosted a business-to-business (B2B) exhibition focusing on Korean ginseng products from prominent Korean food product suppliers in Dubai to highlight its herbal value. Korea exported approximately $300 million worth of agricultural and seafood products to the UAE and the aT Centre expects to double that value in the next five years.

The exhibitors at the event included five major Korean ginseng product suppliers: Organic Love Company, Jecheon Ginseng Herb, Green Company, Nonghyup Hansamin, and Korean Ginseng Corporation. The companies met with over 100 healthcare industry officials to discuss the herbal benefits of ginseng, such as improved immunity and its role in reducing cancer and COVID risks and explore the integration of ginseng products in the UAE healthcare sector.

Commenting on his expectations for the UAE and the Middle East market, Hyouk Kim, Head of aT Centre Dubai, said, “Our mission in the UAE is to promote Korean agricultural products and boost exports. We are new to the UAE and the Middle East in general. Dubai is an important destination for us. If we can succeed in Dubai, we can succeed anywhere in the Middle East. Thus, we are keen to make our mark here and demonstrate to consumers the unique and superior quality of Korean agricultural products.”

Further, speaking about the market outlook for ginseng in the UAE, he added, “Ginseng is relatively a niche product in the UAE and was only imported here for the first-time last year. However, we can see the growing interest in Korean culture due to the popularity of cultural exports from Korea such as K-Dramas and K-Pop. This has led to greater interest in Korean ginseng products as well.”