By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 3 min read
When and where is Gulfood 2027?
Gulfood 2027 runs from 15 to 19 March, with doors open 10:00 to 18:00 on the first four days and 10:00 to 17:00 on Friday 19 March. The 2026 edition was held in January, so check the date before you reuse an old itinerary. We confirmed the March listing on gulfood.com on 17 October 2026.
Which sectors are at DWTC and which at Expo City?
Gulfood spreads across Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) at Expo City Dubai. The gulfood.com text does not list the split, only a floor plan image, so open that plan and note which venue holds your halls. It decides where your car goes each morning.
DWTC is on Sheikh Zayed Road, about 5 km from Downtown Dubai. DEC is reached by Expo Road (E77) off Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311). Our guides to DWTC parking and drop-off and Expo City parking cover each entrance.
Is Gulfood Manufacturing the same show?
No. It is a separate exhibition. Check the organiser site for its own dates and venue rather than assuming they match Gulfood. If your meetings include both, plan each trip on its own.
Trade registration and visitor badges
Use the 2027 visitor registration link on gulfood.com. The organiser says its only official site is gulfood.com and that official emails come from @ind-group.ae, @ind-group.co or @dwtc.com. It also says it does not sell visitor or exhibitor lists, so ignore anyone offering one. The page did not state age rules or badge format, so email [email protected] for either.
Where to stay to cover both venues
| Base | To DWTC | To DEC (Expo City) |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Dubai | about 5 km, 7 min | about 39 km, 37 min |
| Dubai Marina | about 24 km, 22 min | about 22 km, 24 min |
| Dubai International (DXB) | about 15 km, 26 min | about 52 km, 56 min |
| Al Maktoum International (DWC) | about 52 km, 53 min | about 21 km, 31 min |
Free-flow times from OSRM, checked 17 October 2026. A 10:00 opening meets Dubai’s morning peak, so leave earlier than the table suggests. Dubai Marina is the compromise base. Downtown works if your day is mostly at DWTC.
Moving between halls
The two venues are about 42 km apart, roughly 40 minutes without traffic. Free shuttles ran between them at Gulfood 2026, though no 2027 shuttle was listed when we looked. Both are on the Metro Red Line: World Trade Centre station for DWTC and Expo 2020 station for Expo City. For a buyer with a full diary, one car on hourly standby is quicker than waiting for a bus. Our Gulfood chauffeur page sets out the options, and the car with driver service covers hourly hire.
Gulfood week checklist
- Confirm which venue holds each of your halls on the floor plan.
- Register through gulfood.com only.
- Choose a hotel by venue, using the table above.
- Meet your flight with an airport pickup at DXB.
- Keep a car on standby for the DWTC and DEC days.
- Fix your return pickup for 18:00, or 17:00 on 19 March.
WHX Dubai uses the same two venues in January, and our WHX Dubai visitor guide has its dates. Stand teams should read the exhibitor team transport plan. Companies booking every year can use corporate accounts, and our limousine service and events page list the rest.
Photos in this guide
The convention centre concourse at Dubai World Trade Centre, with its chequered marble floorSimon_sees / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
The Al Wasl Plaza dome at Expo City Dubai lit pink at nightMartin Lewison / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
The Dubai World Trade Centre tower beside Sheikh Zayed Road, photographed in 2007Imre Solt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
A Red Line train entering World Trade Centre Metro stationTim Wu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
