More than 130 companies from across 26 countries will participate in the 13th Middle East Natural and Organic Products Expo (Menope), the region’s niche organic and natural products exhibition, which will be held in Dubai this month.

The event takes place from November 2 to 4 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).

Menope 2015 will showcase a variety of products spanning across herbs and spices, food and beverages, cereal products, supplements, health care products, natural living, natural cosmetics, healing products, natural remedies, traditional medicines, spas, relaxation facilities, pet products and fabrics.

The exhibition is patronised by the Ministry of Environment and Water and is supported by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).

Participants include several government authorities such as Emirates Standardisation & Metrology (Esma), Dubai Municipality, Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Indian Ministry of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy). 

Engineer Fatima Al Kalbani, acting director, plant health and development department, UAE, said: “There is a growing affinity towards organic products across the UAE and the Gulf and we as a government entity will continue to encourage and take proactive steps to further this industry.

“Interest in the organic food sector is most evident with the number of organic farms in the UAE on the rise with the increasing demand for toxin- and chemical-free organic food,” she said.