The Premier Global Sugar Conference
Even as the pandemic abates, at least for the moment, new and unforeseen challenges come calling. The world is undergoing seismic changes. War, impending recession, climate change, the dollar’s strength and so much more to confront and contend with. It’s a significant and interesting time to welcome you to the sugar industry’s pre-eminent forum, The Dubai Sugar Conference.
The seventh edition of the Conference will be held at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City from Monday, February 27 to Thursday, March 2, 2023.
Since its inception in 2016, The Dubai Sugar Conference has gone on to become the most-awaited event on the sugar calendar, bringing together key players and decision makers from across the industry. In 2022, we were confident enough to buck the trend and resume the Conference as one of the first major in-person events to be held with the waning of the pandemic. The bet paid off, the event was a great success, with over 700 participants from more than 60 countries.
The Conference will once again be hosted by Jamal Al Ghurair, Managing Director and Principal Shareholder of Al Khaleej Sugar and Jacob Robbins, Founder and CEO of Emeterra.
Of seismic changes
Global economic activity is experiencing a broad-based and sharper-than-expected slowdown, with inflation higher than seen in several decades. There are dire warnings that monetary and fiscal policies in advanced economies risk pushing the world towards global recession and prolonged stagnation, possibly inflicting worse damage than the financial crisis in 2008 and the COVID-19 shock in 2020. The strength of the US dollar, the cost-of-living crisis, tightening financial conditions in most regions, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on energy costs and climate change, all make for a volatile mix.
What will India do on the export front and to what extent will its exports cap prices? Will the low ethanol parity prevail in Brazil and what will be its effect on the sugar mix? Will Thailand be back in the plus 100 million tonne sugarcane club? In Europe, the demand-supply equation appears to be finely balanced, but will high energy costs and refining capacity constraints prove to be an issue? Container ship charter rates and spot container rates are falling, however, will rising energy costs offset this? Oil prices have retreated from their highs, but how much will recent OPEC+ production cuts and the emerging price caps on the maritime trade of Russian oil change prices? How will geopolitical uncertainties and exchange rates affect the sugar world?
The future may not be crystal clear but we must be prepared
With so much happening across the globe, what better time to get together and address these and other issues? Come and listen to the best minds in the sugar industry debate and discuss such matters at The Dubai Sugar Conference 2023. Make enduring connections, transact business, share knowledge and start charting the future course of sugar in these challenging times.
With a stellar line-up of speakers and panellists and an insightful programme, The Dubai Sugar Conference 2023 is once again poised to be THE most meaningful platform for the sugar industry.
Keynote Speaker
We are delighted to have Dr Stefan Streng, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Südzucker AG, as the Keynote Speaker at the Conference. Südzucker is a multinational corporation whose sugar, special products, starch and fruit segments are key players in the food industry, while its CropEnergies segment is the EU’s leading ethanol producer. Südzucker AG, based in Mannheim, is the parent company of the Südzucker Group. Südzucker estimates to have revenues in the region of € 10 billion in 2022/23, employs 18,000 people and produces 4.4 million tonnes of sugar. In the traditional sugar business, the group is Europe’s number one supplier of sugar products. A well-known industry figure, with vast experience in research and agricultural processes, Dr Streng will enlighten us as he “gazes into the heart of the crystal in changing times”.
