This is an assertion by the Head of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ghana Office Cyril Darkwa. He was speaking at a one-day roundtable workshop for some of Ghana’s exporters of raw vegetable and fruits organised by the Dubai Chamber for Commerce and Industry. READ ALSO: Ghana to start importing timber from Liberia next month The one-day was on the processes and requirements to be met in order to export their produce to Dubai. According to Darkwa, the UAE provides Ghanaian food manufacturers and exporters with a gateway to access a market of more than 4 billion consumers across the Middle East and Asia. “The UAE’s fast-growing population and the rising number of tourists are driving up demand within the food and beverage sector, which is projected to grow by 4 per cent annually to $13.2 billion by 2018, while it has stepped up its efforts to collaborate with other countries on food security.” “Agricultural commodities and foodstuff were among the top products traded between Dubai and Ghana in 2016, contributing around $22 million to total non-oil bilateral trade during the year. We hope to see that volume grow in the near future through our combined efforts and increased cooperation,” he added. READ ALSO: Ghana's deputy minister for Agric resigns over ethnocentric comments He said that this was the ideal time for Ghanaian exporters to build bridges with their Dubai counterparts. This he said will help them benefit from the emirate’s world-class logistics infrastructure and position as a trade link in the GCC’s food chain. “For its part, Dubai Chamber remains committed to providing its 210,000 members with access to new trade and opportunities in promising markets. Our office in Accra is ready to provide all necessary support and resources to companies that want to trade with Dubai or use the emirate as a strategic hub to access markets in the GCC, Asia and Europe.”