Arab world delegation attends Spanish olive oil conference

40 VIP delegates from the GCC, Egypt and Yemen recently travelled to Madrid, Spain, for an official conference on the health and dietary benefits of Spanish olive oil, the stringent quality controls adhered to in its production, and Spain's strong cultural links with the Arab world.

• United Arab Emirates: Saturday, March 30 - 2002 at 10:33
• PRESS RELEASE

(From left to right) Mr Fahed Al Otheim (Saudi Arabia), Mr Izzeldin El Sayed, Dr Amin Yousuf, Dr Abdelwahab Ahmed, Mr Jasim Al Jedah, Mr Khalid Alawadi (UAE), Mr Abdullah Al Jeeb, Dr Zuhair Al Dallal (Bahrain), Dr Abdullah Al-Hamaq (Qatar), Mr Mashan Al-Mutairi (Kuwait), at the conference.The Madrid conference, attended by top government, industry and media officials from across the region, was held from March 8-10 and hosted by the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX) and the Olive Oil Exporters Association of Spain (ASOLIVA).

The conference was the culmination of an eight-week campaign that celebrated the importance of the Middle East to Spanish exporters of olive oils.

During the campaign, 12 five-star hotels across the GCC, Egypt and Yemen staged weeklong food promotions themed on Spanish, Arab and international cuisine, prepared with the finest Spanish olive oils.

Spain remains the world's largest producer and exporter of olive oil. Annual production up to April 2002 is forecasted to exceed 1 million tons, while up to 80 per cent of olive oil consumed in the region is of Spanish origin.

The Arab delegation to the Madrid conference welcomed top government officials from state ministries of health, commerce and industry, and from local municipalities, as well as noted journalists and nutritionists, and leading retailers and distributors.

Speakers who addressed the conference included Mr Blas Vicente, Director of Inspection and Certification for Foreign Trade at the Spanish Ministry of Economy; Dr Pedro Mata, President of the Spanish Hypercholesterolemia Foundation; Professor Francisco Sanchez Muniz of the University of Madrid; and Ms Inés Elexpuru, an expert on the culture and gastronomy of the Spanish region of Andalusia, the main olive growing region of Spain.

Delegates visited olive groves and production facilities, and also toured the historical city of Toledo, a tourist landmark famous for its distinct Arab heritage.

Ends

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