Argentina: Beef exporters aim to tap into a market of 1.8 billion people

This week, Argentine exporters are participating in Gulfood in the United Arab Emirates, the largest food exhibition in the Middle East, whose strategic location also attracts buyers from Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Due to the growing scale of the exhibition, this year it is being held in two large venues, one of which features Argentine beef   in a 200 square metre pavilion designed by the Argentine Institute for the Promotion of Beef (IPCVA).

There, exhibitors will be able to offer their customers a halal-certified grilled ribeye steak.

The first day proved to be a busy one for business travellers, as in addition to Muslim shoppers, who represent a market of over 1.8 billion consumers worldwide, there was an unusually large influx of visitors from China and Europe.

From an institutional perspective, the IPCVA was visited by Dr. Mohammed Salman Alhammadi, Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of Food Diversity of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who was received by IPCVA President Georges Breitschmitt, the organization's Vice President Mario Ravetino and the Chief of Staff of the country's Secretariat of Agriculture, Martin Fernandez.

The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of Argentina to the UAE, Jorge Agustín Molina Arambarri, and the President of Coninagro, Lucas Magnano, who is accompanying the Argentine delegation.

Gulfood 2026

This is one of four international exhibitions the Institute will participate in throughout the year. These events also feature similar organizations from all meat-producing countries, such as INAC from Uruguay, ABIEC from Brazil, MLA from Australia, the Meat Export Federation from the United States , AHDB from the United Kingdom , and Bord Bia from Ireland.

Building on its rapid growth and leading position as the region's largest trade fair, Gulfood is being held simultaneously across two major venues in the city: the Dubai World Trade Centre and the Dubai Exhibition Centre.

With the support of the IPCVA, the meat processing companies participating in the project are Offal Exp, Frimsa, Industrias Frigoríficas Sur, Frigorífico Rioplatense, Grupo Lequio, Frigorífico Bermejo, Azul Natural Beef, Bustos Beltran and Argall.

What is Halal certification and why is it important for entering new markets?

There are approximately 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, living in more than 127 countries, who require food that is “halal certified.”

Halal means "permitted" according to the Islamic religion, and certification is based on principles that take into account religious, hygienic and sanitary aspects.

The term "halal," when applied to food products, means permitted or acceptable for consumption. A product is considered halal if it complies with the precepts of Islamic doctrine.

In the case of the refrigeration industry, this refers to meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with the halal ritual, which requires that the slaughter be carried out in a manner that does not cause suffering to the animal and is accompanied by the mention of the name of God.

Countries to which Argentine Halal beef is exported include: the Federation of Malaysia, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Arab Republic of Egypt , the Republic of Tunisia, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , the Republic of Singapore, the Lebanese Republic, the State of Palestine, the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

In addition, negotiations are underway to open the Indonesian market.