The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) is teaming up for a trade mission to the Middle East to help promote the Philippines’ agricultural and fisheries exports.
Launched this month, the country’s delegation aims to boost market access of Philippine goods while strengthening trade partnerships with Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The trade mission marks as the first major initiative between the DA and DTI after signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Agriculture and Fisheries Export Development and Promotion last year.
This agreement, formalized during the 2024 National Export Congress, seeks to strengthen the global competitiveness of the country’s agriculture and fisheries sector.
In a statement, the DTI said these efforts are aligned with the objectives of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the Philippine Export Development Plan 2023-2028.
“This will be achieved by streamlining value chains, promoting value-added processing, and ensuring compliance with international standards,” the agency stated.
The trade mission will feature 26 Philippine exporters.
Sourcing opportunities will be available for these exporter by means of store visits, supplier meetings, and business matching activities.
The DTI noted that this will help them gain direct access to buyers, distributors, and industry leaders across the Middle East.
The agency said the exporters will also meet with the Qatar Ministry of Public Health, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, and other regulatory bodies to address market entry requirements and compliance issues.
The trade mission will also feature a visit to Gulfood 2025—one of the world’s biggest food and hospitality event—to help showcase Philippine exports to an even bigger audience.
Following business-to-business session in Qatar and Jordan, the trade mission will visit Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and Dubai, UAE on Friday.