Exclusive: Dubai offers key confectionery platform with ISM Middle East 2025

A cultural melting pot of flavours, textures and product innovation were boldly on display, as the 2025 edition of ISM Middle East opened at Dubai’s World Trade Centre, reports Neill Barston.

Confectionery Production returned as a media partner for the global show, which last year attracted a total of over 19,000 visitors across its three-day event, which the latest iteration aims to better with two additional halls being added to its floorspace.

With Dubai Chocolate continuing to find its way into supermarket shelves around the world, the ‘local confectionery hero;’ was much in evidence again this year, as manufacturers move to make the most of its viral success over the past 18 months that has seen it become a retail phenomenon.

Clearly, with a total of more than 600 exhibitors present this year, there were far more confectionery and snacks offerings besides its largest-profiled export of the past twelve months. 

Intriguingly, one potential successor to Dubai Chocolate’s pistachio-enhanced throne, Angel Hair, was in evidence around the event, leaving market observers to consider whether it could have quite the same level of impact, as it is considered a sweeter-tasting offering that may not quite have as universal appeal.

Notably, this year’s show features a number of engaging displays, as well as live demonstrations, including Dutch stroopwaffel production, chocolate fountains, ice cream dispensing, as well as Dubai chocolate tasting opportunities that caught the eye of many visitors.

Expanded sessions
This year’s experts stage featured a series of topical presentations that built notably on its introduction to the event from two years ago, with a full programme of presentations across its first two days.

Among the highlights for the first days sessions, was an opening address from Dr Morgaine Gaye, Food Futurologist, who has worked across industry, including with major confectionery brands on consumer engagement.

She reflected on the global mindsets and industry priorities, asserting that within the next year, AI will be at a point where it is fully self-monitoring, resulting in many industries to rapidly re-adapt. See our extended event review for more on her (and the remainder of the show’s key presentations), which also examined key trends, including what she described as a continued drive for nostalgic products.

Furthermore, she also projected a number of potential trends for the remainder of the year, including having noted the emergence of sweetcorn as a strong flavour profile within the food sector, as well as consumers continuing to seek out a host of health and nutrition product. This included series offering enhanced health claims including immune system boosting, building on the trend for functional ingredient that has gained traction on a global level over the past couple of years.

Furthermore, in terms of colouring, she noted that consumers appeared to be a lot more accepting of emerging trends for green products (in the wake of Dubai Chocolate’s pistachio connection), as well distinctive blue coloured snacks, bakery and confectionery options.

In addition, there were insights from Beatrice Quarella, Account Manager – Innova Market Insights, who noted that snacking occasions were continuing to move upwards for many consumers, including in the Middle East.

However, she did not believe that people were viewing the vastly-extended array of additional snacks as meal replacements, rather than something that has reflected a wider move towards eating little and often, as younger generations in particular, adopted an overall increase in an ;’on-the-go’ lifestyle that was conducive to smaller portioned food and confectionery.

As she noted, a total of 69% of consumers continue to look for products that have tangible natural ingredient claims, which she observed remains a notable force within the confectionery space.

Hot competition
Another standout element of ISM Middle East has been its annual awards that have provided a strong focal point for the event. With the wealth of confectionery, including chocolate, hard candies, and other specialities now being produced locally in the region, there remains considerable competition for its accolades, that has also seen global entrants bidding for honours at the key regional event.

For its part, British premium chocolate brand Charbonnel et Walker, specialising in chocolate and truffles made its debut at ISM Middle East today. It has also produced a special edition festive calendar representing its original London store, which is among finalists for an award this week.

Speaking to Confectionery Production, Chloe Choularton (main image), sales executive at the long-established brand, which this year celebrates its 150th anniversary, believed there had been a positive response to its presence.

She said: “We’re all really excited about our 150th anniversary, which we are celebrating with our Christmas range, which forms the showpiece for marking the occasion. So we have really gone to town on it with our calendar which is based on the company’s first shop, and it just made sense for us to submit this for the awards, 

“This is the first time we have exhibited here in the UAE, and we’ve been mindful of the fact that it has been growing and we’ve previously been at the one in Cologne, and we have found that the brand is popular in the region here, so it made sense for us to be at this year’s event,” added Chloe, who noted that the business had plans for further expansion in the MENA region, with social media playing its part in gaining brand recognition.

Meanwhile, among the delegates from South America,  Brazil’s Simas confectionery, reported encouraging signs on the opening day of the event, in terms of the flow and quality of visitors to country’s visitor.

Luiz Simas commented: “Overall this year has been a good year for us, but we are of course facing the new tariffs that the US has placed on Brazil at 50%, we export a lot there, which has given us a new challenge which we will get through.

“It’s good that we’re here in Dubai, as we are able to see what other markets are like, which offers us the chance to sell to this region. The market for us here is growing, as is the show, There are different types of buyers here in Dubai, so that is something else that we have chance to see,” he noted of the business, which he explained had proved adaptable in not simply complying with its own national manufacturing standards, but also meeting global regulatory and legislation requirements as well.

Furthermore, he observed that the increasing trend for more natural flavours had prompted the release of an enhanced range of lines including passion fruit and melon that met these demands, which were being well-received by visitors to this year’s edition.

In addition, there has also been a strong presence from businesses across the wider Middle East region, including Syrian-based family-owned company, Jannaty, specialising in date-based confectionery, as well as chocolate confectionery series.

Speaking to our publication, CEO Ahmad Alanzarouti, commented that the company had enjoyed a promising opening to this year’s event at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

He said: “As Jannaty, we’re based in Syria, started out in 2007, and since 2019, we also launched it in Bahrain, For ISM Middle East, we’ve participated every year at the show for the past five or six years when it was part of Gulfood.

“Year by year it is getting bigger, becoming more important, and it’s crowds are becoming larger, and we have found that with this show, visitors are more focused on confectionery and specialised and interested in our market.

“We have been improving our range of products in terms of our packaging and fillings, which include dates – which is something that is becoming even more popular, including in Europe. Our products are based on such natural ingredients, so we believe there’s a future in these ranges,” he added, noting that the business had enjoyed a ‘superb year so far,’ particularly within its native Syria, adding that that conditions had improved considerably within the country, that had enabled a strong platform for growth for the company.