The bright desert skylines of Dubai are beckoning fast for this year’s ISM Middle East, with Confectionery Production set to return as a media partner. Editor Neill Barston casts an eye over the key regional show, including an exclusive interview with its director Inga Drawe

Plans for this year’s ISM Middle East are progressing full steam ahead for the annual event in Dubai that is set to showcase some of the region’s key offerings, as well as global developments.

The organisers behind the 2026 event have placed considerable energy into securing its delivery, attracting a notable array of brands and businesses from across the world to participate in the well-established showcase.

This comes despite ongoing geopolitical conditions in the region, with the Iran war now entering its seventh month in the region – which had prompted the event to be moved back from its previous date originally scheduled for September, to its previous traditional positioning alongside Gulfood Manufacturing equipment and systems show, to be staged between 3-5 November at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

As our title has previously found covering the event, there have been a wealth of sweets and snacking options being displayed, highlighting the region’s strong love of snacking and gifting that has driven the sector significantly in recent years.

This bustling hub of enterprise has been at the core of a confectionery phenomenon with the arrival of Dubai Chocolate. Its popularity shows no signs of waning, with hopes that a couple of years on from its initial viral success, that the all-conquering ‘hero product’ will continue to inspire fresh innovations in the industry.

Notably, much of the buzz surrounding the region’s momentum is down to the UAE’s comparatively young demographic, eager to seize upon the latest brand developments, with TikTok and other social media platforms continuing to drive interest for the category, as confectionery fans clamour to see the latest entrants into the sector.

Moreover, according to the Dubai World Trade Centre, this year’s exhibitors include an eclectic mix of brands from the region and across Europe, including Klett Schokolade, Millano Group, Akanlar Gıda, LEE Chocolate, Trapa Chocolates, and Melodi bringing together a broad sourcing mix spanning filled pralines, tablets, dark chocolate, pistachio and nut-led ranges, reduced-sugar formulations, premium gifting and retail- and hospitality-ready formats.

In addition, as organisers noted, and our  title has found in its own reporting, many confectionery buyers are increasingly seeking out chocolate and sweets that offer an elevated experience, with texture, and distinctive flavours proving high on many consumers’ agenda.

ISM Middle East brings those opportunities together in one place, giving retailers, distributors, foodservice operators, and hospitality buyers direct access to the producers, products, and ranges shaping the next phase of the chocolate category across the region.

Major regional snacking trends continue
Fast-rising confectionery and snacks markets in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region (APMEA), are forecast to total over $400 billion for the wider region this year.

As our title has previously covered, the market upturn has been driven by a combination of factors, including the comparatively young age demographic in the UAE and elsewhere, as well as factors including a growing private label sector seeking to capture a share of the sector. Significantly, as we have reported, chocolate confectionery is anticipated to feature notably among the hundreds of exhibitors at this year’s event. It will include contributors from nations including Italy, Poland, Germany, China, Spain, Türkiye, as well as a fast-rising range of local producers who are helping set a new benchmark for quality and standards in the region.

Moreover, as the organising team noted, confectionery buyers are now contending with an ever-wider range of considerations, including expanding portfolio ranges to include better-for-you options, as well as series that cater for specific dietary requirements. This has further enhanced the overall confectionery landscape, which continues to thrive in spite of wider supply chain challenges and economic headwinds in some territories.

Sweets and snacks prominence
Beyond chocolate ranges, sweets and snacks will also feature heavily, with broad international representation from Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Pakistan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK and the USA, among other markets.

As the trade centre’s team noted, European participation includes Germany’s Trolli and Powermints, Spain’s CAFOSA GUM and Productos Churruca, Poland’s Dr Gerard, Italy’s Crispo, Denmark’s Gumlink

Confectionery Company and Latvia’s The Beginnings. Collectively, their portfolios reflect the breadth of current category demand. From sour and filled gummies, compressed mints and private-label chewing gum, through to roasted corn and legume snacks, sandwich biscuits, and wafers, snack cakes, filled chocolates and pralines, and protein-led snacks, the choices are indeed many.

The global mix extends across Asia and beyond, with Indonesia’s Yupi Indo Jelly Gum, Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Biscuits and Türkiye’s Akanlar Çikolata İçecek Gıda among the manufacturers bringing regional production expertise and export-ready portfolios to Dubai.

In addition, the Gulf’s own manufacturing base is also represented by
Bahrain’s Amalfi Foods, Dubai-based Blooming Foods FZCO and Saudi Arabia’s Al Wefag Manufacturing, adding locally produced bakery and confectionery ranges into proceedings.

Event optimism
For her part, German-based ISM Middle East event director, Inga Drawe (of Koelnmesse, right of pic with Mark Napier, director of Gulfood Manufacturing), believed there were a number of compelling reasons to visit this year’s event, with exhibitors from around the world set to descend on the event this coming month.

While there have clearly been tests in bringing together this year’s events given wider issues within the region, the event is in strong hands and is set to showcase a number of global confectionery talents.

Q: Having been behind the organising of ISM for the past couple of years, how proud are you of how the show has evolved?
I’m incredibly proud of how far ISM Middle East has come. In recent years, the show has grown not just in size, but in maturity, international reach and strategic relevance. The 2025 edition was a real milestone: we added two halls, welcomed more countries and put an even stronger focus on trends and innovation. Seeing the show become a meeting point for established global players and ambitious new brands is especially rewarding.

Q: How challenging has it been in re-adapting this year’s event from its original September show? There seems to be quite a strong momentum building up for the show, what are you most excited about for November at the World Trade Centre?
We have consciously decided on the new date for ISM Middle East in November after carefully assessing the travel and market conditions across the MENA region. Our priority was to take these circumstances into account, while planning the event responsibly and in close coordination with our exhibitors, partners and stakeholders. We’re grateful for the industry’s continued support and are looking forward to welcoming the community to Dubai World Trade Centre in November.

Q: How much of a difference has the rebranding as ISM Middle East continued to make to the event in Dubai?
The rebranding has helped make the show’s international role clearer and strengthened its connection to the wider ISM family. The strength and recognition of the ISM brand internationally have also contributed to the event’s success, helping us connect with exhibitors and buyers from across the global sweets and snacks industry. In Dubai, that matters: the event is aimed at an extremely international region, and the brand communicates both our global industry links and our focus on opportunities in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The result is a show that is increasingly professional, internationally connected and relevant to the market.

Q: What have been some of the most surprising new products that you have seen over the past few years in Dubai?
A: What continues to surprise me is the way brands bring regional ingredients and flavours into formats with global appeal. Dates, saffron, cardamom and pistachio are inspiring new combinations, while the products themselves increasingly balance indulgence with changing consumer expectations – think cleaner labels, less sugar or added functional benefits. That mix of local character and international ambition is one of the most exciting things about the region.

Q: Dubai Chocolate has been ‘the big megatrend’ of the past two years, are you seeing anything coming up to claim its place for 2026?
A: Trends rarely disappear overnight, and pistachio-led products are still attracting attention. But rather than predicting one single successor, I see several directions gaining ground: regional flavours, more mindful indulgence, functional ingredients and products with a strong sensory or gifting appeal. The most compelling ideas may be the ones that combine these elements – while offering something genuinely distinctive.

Q: What have you found most interesting about visiting Dubai these past few years, and how does it contrast with life back home in Germany?
What I find fascinating is Dubai’s international outlook and its role as a meeting point for people, businesses and ideas from across the region and beyond. For the sweets and snacks industry, that creates an energetic environment where global products meet local tastes and new opportunities can emerge quickly. Compared with Germany, the scale and pace of international exchange feel especially striking – but both markets share a real appreciation for quality, innovation and memorable product