Ahead of Gulfood Manufacturing 2026, SIG’s Abdelghany Eladib, President and General Manager, India, Middle East and Africa, on why resilience needs to be engineered into the manufacturing system itself, and how flexible, local production is becoming the new frontline of food security.
Food security is often discussed through the lens of agricultural production, imports, strategic reserves and supply chains. All remain critical. But as disruption becomes a more persistent feature of the operating environment, another part of the equation deserves greater attention: the ability to manufacture food locally, efficiently and with the flexibility to adapt. The question is no longer only whether enough food can be produced or sourced. It is whether manufacturers have the capabilities to respond when circumstances change. Ahead of Gulfood Manufacturing 2026, Abdelghany Eladib, President and General Manager, India, Middle East and Africa at SIG, spoke about what that means for the industry.
Resilience Cannot Be Taken For Granted
“Resilience cannot only be about how businesses respond when disruption happens. We need to build adaptability into the manufacturing system itself – the ability to produce efficiently, innovate faster and respond to changing market conditions without compromising food safety, quality or sustainability,” says Eladib.
For SIG, this means looking beyond production capacity towards adaptable manufacturing: technologies that allow food and beverage manufacturers to fill different products in multiple packaging formats and sizes; aseptic solutions that protect food for longer; and innovation capabilities that help turn ideas into commercially viable products faster.
Resilience Is Being Tested In Real Time
Across India, the Middle East and Africa, this is far from a theoretical discussion. Geopolitical uncertainty continues to affect shipping routes, lead times, logistics costs and operational planning.
“What we are experiencing across our region is a reminder that resilience cannot be taken for granted,” says Eladib. “When routes change, lead times increase or costs fluctuate, our customers still need to keep their operations running and their products available. Our role is to stay close to them, understand what is happening on the ground and find practical ways to help them adapt.”
This makes strengthening local production increasingly important – but capacity alone is not enough. Manufacturers also need the flexibility to respond to changing consumer needs with product, packaging format, and pack size flexibility. Some SIG aseptic carton filling machines, for example, can accommodate up to nine different pack sizes on a single filling machine with changeovers done in minutes.
Time is another important part of the resilience equation. When supply routes become longer or less predictable, every additional day in transit reduces the time available for a product to reach the consumer. Aseptic processing and packaging can enable food and beverages to remain safe, high quality and shelf-stable for extended periods at ambient temperatures before opening, helping products travel further while reducing dependence on refrigerated distribution.
Innovation Closer To The Market
Stronger regional food systems also require innovation capabilities closer to consumers. SIG’s Product Innovation & Application Hub in Dubai enables manufacturers to develop and test new food and beverage concepts closer to the markets they are designed for.
“If we want stronger regional food systems, we need both production and innovation capabilities closer to the consumer,” says Eladib. “The faster manufacturers can develop, test and scale products for local needs, the more responsive the whole ecosystem becomes.”
Built To Adapt
This year’s Gulfood Manufacturing theme, “Powering Food Security Through Manufacturing Innovation,” comes at a particularly relevant moment.
“We cannot remove uncertainty from the equation,” says Eladib. “What we can do is build stronger local capabilities, more flexible manufacturing and closer partnerships so that our industry is better equipped to respond when conditions change.”
Because in an increasingly unpredictable world, the strongest manufacturing strategy may not be to predict the future perfectly. It is to be built to adapt.
Abdelghany Eladib will be at Gulfood Manufacturing 2026 and look forward to meeting customers, partners and visitors throughout the show. Meet Abdelghany and the wider SIG team at Booth C4-4, Hall 4, from 3–5 November at Dubai World Trade Centre.
