Announced during an exclusive networking event in Jeddah attended by the Consul General of Italy, Saudi food companies, buyers and industry representatives, the new initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s leadership in global date exports and the rapid growth of its agri-food industry.
Jeddah : TUTTOFOOD, Southern Europe’s leading international food & beverage business platform organized by Fiere di Parma, announced that its 2028 edition will debut The Global Date Experience, a new dedicated business platform for the international date industry, responding to the growing global importance of one of the Gulf region’s most strategic agricultural products.
The announcement was made during an exclusive TUTTOFOOD networking event at The Jeddah EDITION, held alongside The Saudi Food Show and bringing together Saudi food companies, buyers, media and institutional representatives. The event was attended by Marco Bocchi, Consul General of Italy in Jeddah, further highlighting the growing business dialogue between Italy and Saudi Arabia in the agri-food sector.
Marco Bocchi, Consul General of Italy in Jeddah, stated: “Economic relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia are growing stronger and increasingly diversified, creating new opportunities for long-term partnerships. The agri-food sector is particularly promising, combining Italian excellence, technology and know-how with the ambitions and growing capabilities of the Saudi market. Strengthening cooperation across our respective agri-food value chains can generate new opportunities for companies on both sides and foster increasingly innovative and mutually beneficial partnerships.”
The Global Date Experience will be a dedicated business platform within TUTTOFOOD 2028, connecting date producers and exporters with international buyers, retailers, food manufacturers and foodservice operators. The area will showcase premium varieties alongside innovative date-based ingredients and applications, creating new sourcing and business opportunities across the global food industry.
HRH Princess Sarah bint Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Executive Director of the International Dates Council, commented: “The International Dates Council was established at the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to bring together countries engaged in the date sector. Today, we work with our member states and partners to improve date quality, develop standards and exchange expertise, contributing to a stronger global presence for the sector. In this context, we see The Global Date Experience at TUTTOFOOD 2028 as an opportunity to broaden market access and build partnerships that support the growth of the sector and date-based industries.”
Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma, said: “Saudi Arabia is rapidly strengthening its position not only as the world’s leading exporter of dates, but as one of the fastest-growing agri-food exporters globally. The international market is also changing: dates are increasingly appreciated not only as a premium fruit, but as an ingredient for innovative food products. TUTTOFOOD wants to accompany this evolution by creating new business opportunities across the entire value chain, from producers to food manufacturers, retailers and international buyers.”
The announcement is part of a broader expansion plan for TUTTOFOOD. After its largest edition ever this year, which attracted 123,000 professional visitors (+30% vs 2025), 5,000 exhibiting brands (+20% vs 2025) and 4,000 top international buyers, TUTTOFOOD 2028 will expand with two new exhibition halls, increasing its overall exhibition capacity and creating additional space to accommodate growing international demand from exhibitors and buyers.
TUTTOFOOD, held every two years in Milan, Italy, will return from May 8 to 11, 2028. The event has become one of Europe’s fastest-growing international food business platforms, connecting producers, retailers, distributors, wholesalers and foodservice operators across global markets through one of the global food industry’s most advanced hosted buyer programs.
