Three global visionaries gather to reimagine food manufacturing at Gulfood 2026

Paul Polman, Ken Goldberg and John Elkington convene in Dubai to explore how purpose-led business, intelligent technology and long-term investment can reshape the food system for a resilient future

Three architects of contemporary industrial transformation will converge at Dubai World Trade Centre on November 3 to examine one of the defining questions of our era: how the Gulf region can build a food system that is both resilient and competitive in an age of unprecedented disruption.

Paul Polman, the former chief executive of Unilever and a co-architect of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Ken Goldberg, a professor of engineering at UC Berkeley working at the frontier of artificial intelligence and robotics, and John Elkington, the originator of the Triple Bottom Line concept and a lifelong advocate for business sustainability, will form the panel for ‘The Food Sovereignty Agenda: Capital and the Intelligent Factory’, moderated by Massimo Marioni, a journalist and former senior editor at Fortune.

The session arrives at a moment when food manufacturing stands at an inflection point. For a region with finite natural resources and accelerating demand, the choices made today about investment, technology and supply chain architecture will determine the contours of food security for decades to come. As Polman has observed, the question is no longer simply how to produce more, but how to build systems that are resilient, affordable and sustainable.

Goldberg’s contribution will centre on the translation of laboratory research into practical industrial application. Robotics and artificial intelligence, in his view, have moved beyond experimental phases to offer genuine solutions to the productivity and adaptability challenges facing manufacturers. Yet the real test lies in moving these innovations from research environments into the factories and supply chains where they can genuinely serve producers and consumers alike.

Elkington, widely regarded as the godfather of sustainability, brings five decades of experience advising business leaders on the imperative of change. He sees in the current moment, with its cascading disruptions to global supply chains, its climate stress and geopolitical fragmentation, both crisis and opportunity. The manufacturers who will lead in the coming years, he contends, will not be those who simply produce more, but those who produce differently.

Beyond the panel discussion, Polman will also participate in a separate one-on-one conversation titled ‘Leading Business Transformation in a Changing World’, drawing on his decades of corporate leadership and his recent work on the concept of Net Positive, to explore how businesses can respond to uncertainty and redesign established models.

The 12th edition of Gulfood Manufacturing runs from November 3 to 5 at Dubai World Trade Centre, co-located with GulfHost, ISM Middle East and Private Label Middle East. The exhibitions bring together 2,500 exhibitors from 79 countries across 21 halls, spanning ingredients, food processing, packaging, supply chain and manufacturing technology, as well as professional foodservice equipment, confectionery and private label.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

The convergence of these global thought leaders in Dubai underscores the emirate’s position as a hub for serious dialogue on industrial transformation and food security. As the region continues to develop its manufacturing capabilities and explore advanced technologies, such conversations become essential to shaping a food system resilient enough to withstand future disruptions whilst remaining competitive on a global stage.

For Abu Dhabi’s broader business landscape, these discussions model the kind of purposeful leadership and long-term strategic thinking that the Emirates has long championed. As the events and exhibitions sector continues its robust trajectory, having access to such intellectual and commercial leadership reinforces the region’s standing as a destination where global industry leaders gather to shape the future.

Source: WAM