Brazilian Beef Industry Exceeds $2 Billion in Business Prospects at Gulfood 2026

The Brazilian beef sector made a significant impact at Gulfood 2026, held from January 26 to 30 in Dubai, achieving $548.3 million in business during the event itself with expectations of $2.95 billion in future negotiations. This success highlights the industry's robust global demand and strategic efforts to expand in the Middle East and other key markets.

Represented by 31 companies—a 20% increase from the previous edition—the Brazilian Beef stand was a focal point at the fair, which hosted over 8,000 exhibitors from 195 countries and welcomed approximately 200,000 qualified visitors at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The Brazilian Beef initiative, a collaboration between the Brazilian Association of Exporting Meat Industries (Abiec) and the Brazilian Agency for Promotion of Exports and Investments (ApexBrasil), showcased the product's key strengths, including quality, sustainability, traceability, sanitary compliance, and halal certification.

In addition to business negotiations, the stand offered visitors a traditional Brazilian barbecue experience, in partnership with the Barbacoa restaurant group. Roberto Perosa, president of Abiec, emphasized the strategic importance of Gulfood as a platform for consolidating Brazilian beef’s presence in the region and expanding further. He noted that the strong business figures reflect the confidence of international buyers in Brazilian products and the sector’s ability to meet diverse global demands.

Perosa also underscored the long-term partnership with ApexBrasil, which has been instrumental for over two decades in enhancing Brazilian beef’s international image and converting contacts made at such global events into tangible business outcomes. These results signal positive growth prospects for Brazil's beef exports and reinforce its role as a major player in the global meat market.