Bangladeshi food manufacturers secured confirmed purchase orders worth $34.5 million at the recently concluded Gulf Food Fair in Dubai, with additional discussions on potential exports valued at $29.1 million, according to the event’s organizer, the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Mizanur Rahman, the company’s executive director of exports, said PRAN Group led the way, securing $5 million in confirmed orders and exploring potential exports worth another $2 million.

PRAN received its first orders from Syria for biscuits, dry cakes, noodles, and juices, while another Syrian firm placed orders for Arabian spices, confectionery, and mustard oil. Additionally, a Venezuelan buyer ordered two containers of biscuits, noodles, and juices.

PRAN also secured its first confirmed order from Russia, valued at $75,000, primarily for juices and biscuits.

Banoful-Kishwan Group reported $358,000 in confirmed orders, including first-time orders for juices and sandwich biscuits from Mauritania and Yemen, said Kamal Hossain Shohag, the company’s assistant general manager of export.

MM Ispahani Limited secured $100,000 in confirmed orders, with its first-ever export orders from Finland, Cyprus, South Africa, Yemen, Afghanistan, Mali, and the Maldives, said Sukla Sarker, assistant export manager. The company also received new orders from Niger and Ireland for tea, biscuits, and bakery items.

41 Bangladeshi companies participated in the five-day event, which featured 5,500 exhibitors from 129 countries and showcased over 1 million products in Dubai’s key commercial hub.