Bangladeshi food product manufacturers secured confirmed purchase orders worth $34.5 million at the recently concluded Gulf Food Fair in Dubai.

Additionally, local companies engaged in discussions on potential exports valued at $29.1 million, according to the Dubai World Trade Centre, the event's organiser.

PRAN Group alone secured $5 million in confirmed orders and discussed potential exports worth another $2 million, Mizanur Rahman, executive director of export at the group, told The Daily Star.

"For the first time, PRAN received an order from a Syrian company for biscuits, dry cakes, noodles, and juices," he said.

Another Syrian firm placed orders for Arabian spices, confectionery items, and mustard oil, Rahman added.

Initially, these companies will import three containers of these products to conduct market research before placing further orders, he said.

A Venezuelan businessman also ordered two containers of biscuits, noodles, and juices, he said.

PRAN secured its first confirmed order from Russia, amounting to $75,000, primarily for juices and biscuits, Rahman said.

Kamal Hossain Shohag, assistant general manager of export at Banoful-Kishwan Group, reported receiving $358,000 in confirmed orders.

"For the first time, we received orders for juices and sandwich biscuits from Mauritania and Yemen," he said.

"New buyers usually start with a single container to test consumer response before placing larger orders," he added, noting that Banoful-Kishwan Group currently exports goods to 47 countries.

MM Ispahani Limited secured $100,000 in confirmed orders at the fair, said Sukla Sarker, assistant manager of export.

She said her company received its first-ever export orders from Finland, Cyprus, South Africa, Yemen, Afghanistan, Mali, and the Maldives.

"We received orders for tea, biscuits, snacks, and bakery items. And for the first time, we also received orders from Niger and Ireland."

"There is strong demand for cookies, noodles, tea, and carbonated drinks, with tea receiving significant inquiries," she added.

Forty-one Bangladeshi companies were among the record 5,500 exhibitors at the five-day Gulf Food Fair, which began on February 17.

The event featured firms from over 129 countries showcasing more than 1 million products in Dubai, a key commercial hub in the United Arab Emirates.

The 30th edition of the fair included country pavilions from the USA, France, Brazil, the UK, India, Singapore, Japan, and Australia, along with first-time participants such as Kosovo, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Zambia.