With the participation of more than 700 officials and experts representing 60 countries, the launch of the Dubai Sugar Conference 2023 in its seventh edition
The activities of the seventh edition of the Dubai Sugar Conference 2023 started on February 28 (the largest of its kind in the region). They will continue until March 2 in Dubai, with the distinguished participation of more than 700 experts and officials representing more than 60 countries at the Dubai Intercontinental Festival City Hotel.
The focus will be on the idea of sustainability, how to manage it, and the various initiatives being taken in partnership with international organizations to promote sustainability and environmental awareness, as well as discussing many factors of influence, variables, and challenges in the sugar industry and trade.
On the sidelines of the conference, Mr Jamal Al Ghurair, Managing Director of the “Gulf Sugar Company – Jebel Ali”, which is the largest independent sugar refinery in the world, held a meeting in which he revealed the rise in global sugar prices by 30%, and attributed this to the increase in demand and decrease in supply without any serious effects of Ukrainian-Russian war has contributed to this rise.
Jamal Al-Ghurair stressed the importance of the conference as a global platform that discusses the developments of this industry in the country, estimating the country’s consumption of sugar at between 200 to 250 thousand tons annually.
He added that 95% of the sugar that the country imports comes from Brazil since Brazil exports raw sugar that is re-refined in the country, while India exports only refined sugar, denying that sugar substitutes hurt the sugar industry and trade.
Al-Ghurair added that the cost of insurance for marine transport arriving in the Gulf does not exceed 0.25% of the value of the goods.
He explained that the Excise tax imposition on juices and sweetened beverages in the country initially contributed to the decline in the demand for sugar. Still, soon consumers got used to the new prices of sweetened products.
Al-Ghurair indicated that Al Khaleej Sugar operates with a production capacity representing only 40% of the factory’s total production capacity.
Al-Ghurair revealed that the Canal Sugar Company, the unit affiliated with the company in Egypt, which is the largest beet sugar factory in the world, will start production after Ramadan at the end of next April.
