At the international Gulfood 2026 food exhibition held in the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan once again demonstrated its growing role in the global agri-food market. Representatives of the national company Food Corporation presented the export potential of Kazakhstan’s grain sector, with the participation of domestic companies organized with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, DKNews.kz reports.
This year, Kazakhstan’s presence at Gulfood went beyond a traditional exhibition format, focusing on concrete negotiations and long-term cooperation with partners from the Persian Gulf region.
Focus on the Persian Gulf markets
During a roundtable chaired by Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov, participants discussed prospects for expanding exports of crop production from Kazakhstan to countries of the Persian Gulf. The region is showing steadily growing demand for grain and food products, while actively seeking to diversify supply sources.
As a result of the negotiations, agreements on cooperation were reached with AfaqAl Waha, North Wind Trading Services SPC and Nexgen Trading LLC. These contacts lay the groundwork for building stable and long-term channels for exporting Kazakh grain to Middle Eastern markets.
Artificial intelligence in agri-trade
One of the key outcomes of Gulfood 2026 was the signing of a memorandum of strategic cooperation between the Food Corporation and Almukarramah, a developer of a digital food and agri-trading platform based on artificial intelligence technologies.
The platform integrates agrotechnologies, foodtech, fintech and logistics into a single digital ecosystem, connecting farmers, buyers and sellers, payment services, logistics operators and government bodies. It is expected that Kazakhstan’s national grain operator will become a corporate subscriber to the T57 digital platform.
This will provide access to data on global trade flows, market analytics and verified counterparties, significantly enhancing transparency and efficiency in international trade operations.
A gateway to global food trade
Representatives of Almukarramah note that the integration of Kazakhstan’s national grain operator into the platform will help expand the digital agri-trade ecosystem in Central Asia and contribute to the formation of a unified channel for global food trade. For the Food Corporation, cooperation with T57 is viewed as a promising tool for systematically integrating Kazakh agricultural products into international supply chains.
Strong demand and logistical challenges
According to Asylkhan Dzhuvashev, Chairman of the Board of the Food Corporation, companies from the Middle East continue to show strong interest in Kazakh food products:
“We see strong demand for high-quality Kazakh grain and a clear intention among Persian Gulf countries to diversify their supply sources. Detailed work on logistics and export routes is needed to ensure economically efficient deliveries. There is strong interest from potential partners.”
A new stage for Kazakhstan’s agri-exports
Gulfood 2026 marked an important step for Kazakhstan in strengthening its presence in one of the world’s most dynamic food markets. The combination of direct negotiations, digital trade solutions and sustained demand from the Persian Gulf creates favorable conditions for a new stage in the development of Kazakhstan’s agri-exports.
For the grain sector, this means moving beyond traditional export routes toward a more diversified, technology-driven and resilient model of international trade.
