FOODERA EXPO 2026, the first specialized food and beverage exhibition held in Samarkand, has opened at the SOF EXPO Samarkand exhibition complex.
The opening ceremony was attended by provincial and industry officials: Khurshidbek Samiev, deputy governor of Samarkand province and head of the provincial department of investment and foreign trade; Erkin Malikov, chairman of the Association of Exporters of Uzbekistan; Bahodir Umirshaykhov, chairman of the Food Industry Association of Uzbekistan; Khaydar Urakov, chairman of the Council of Entrepreneurs of Samarkand province; Nozir Ibragimov, the council’s deputy chairman; and Jamshed Urakov, adviser to the governor on local industry development. Representatives of diplomatic missions and embassies also attended.
The exhibition runs from Oct. 27 to 29 and brings together producers, distributors, importers, suppliers and professional buyers. It serves as a platform for product presentations, business meetings and talks on new partnerships among food-sector companies.
The exhibits include food and beverages, tea and coffee, confectionery and bakery goods, dairy and meat products, frozen foods, semi-finished products, preserves, sauces and delicacies. A total of 87 companies and stands are taking part, among them enterprises from Samarkand province and companies from other countries in the region.
Speaking at the opening, Samiev underlined the exhibition’s importance for developing local production and expanding exports. He said 1,311 food processing enterprises operate in the province and 46 new projects in the sector were launched in the first nine months of 2026. The exhibition is expected to draw more than 3,000 professional visitors and generate contracts worth over $5 million.
“Developing the food industry today is impossible without direct dialogue between producers, suppliers, distributors and professional buyers. FOODERA EXPO creates space for exactly that kind of exchange: lively, professional and focused on concrete business contacts,” said Ahmad Tajibayev, director of the exhibition complex.
FOODERA EXPO targets retail chains and wholesalers, buyers, producers, importers and distributors, as well as the restaurant and hotel sectors. Participants can present products to potential partners, gauge market supply and demand, and discuss terms of cooperation, supply and distribution.
Over the three days, visitors can view participants’ products, explore cooperation opportunities and make new business contacts. Holding FOODERA EXPO in Samarkand strengthens professional ties and opens further opportunities for the development of the food industry in Uzbekistan and Central Asia.
