Abu Dhabi Food Festival (ADFF) has officially concluded with more than 70,000 visitors and food lovers coming together across the emirate, strongly contributing to the positioning of Abu Dhabi as a global culinary hub.
The two-week festival, organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), ran from 6th to 22nd December, incorporating an outstanding line-up of food and beverage events, including World of Food, Festember, Big Grill, SIAL Middle East, the ADFF Scavenger Hunt and TimeOut Restaurant Week.
Reflecting on another successful edition of ADFF, Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary at Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: “ADFF has once again successfully attracted a huge number of residents and visitors alike, who not only enjoyed tasty cuisines from some of the best chefs from around the globe, but also the very best food-related experiences available anywhere in the world today. This year has seen a packed programme of delectable offerings that, in my view, further cement Abu Dhabi’s position as an international hub of culinary inspiration.
“It is clear that food brings people together and the plethora of international visitors we have once again welcomed to the UAE capital this year, I hope will have encouraged an exchange of cultures, particularly as we look ahead to 2019, the UAE’s Year of Tolerance.”
Festember, which ran from 5th to 9th December at the Waterfront Park, next to Louvre Abu Dhabi, attracted more than 8,000 visitors to enjoy the weekend’s festivities. Those attending were able to savour the best emerging brands and new international food and beverage vendors, such as Gastro Garage, Chick’nCone and The Barrel BBQ. Mexico was this year’s Guest of Honour, and among the visitors to Festember was Mexico’s Ambassador to the UAE, HE Francisca E. Méndez Escobar. After sampling the vast array of different cuisines on offer.
Another standout promotion was the citywide ADFF Scavenger Hunt Competition by Traceberry App, which took place throughout the month of December. More than 2,000 users downloaded the App to win prizes worth AED 1,000,000 such as mall vouchers, electronic goods and fine dining opportunities.
Another highlight was the successful world record attempt to cook the world’s largest meat stew – a chicken margougah. Also, three Michelin star chefs – Julia Komp, Claude Taffarello and Vineet Bhatia – delighted food fans with exclusive appearances during the festival. For the first time ever, ADFF welcomed World of Food Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Purple Kitchen Events, where visitors were able to take a culinary journey through more than 15 countries, sampling a mix of signature taster dishes cooked and served by international chefs. More than 35,000 visitors attended to enjoy fun family events including live music, competitions, cake-decorating demonstrations, cooking shows and kids’ activity areas.
