Gulfood has two venues, so pick yours first.

Dates and the two-venue format

Gulfood 2027 runs from Monday 15 to Friday 19 March 2027. The organiser, whose site is gulfood.com, lists hours of 10:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Thursday and 10:00 to 17:00 on the Friday. The hours sit in the footer of the site, so confirm them for your own day before you fix a pick-up time.

Two things changed since the last show. It ran from 26 to 30 January in 2026, so any itinerary or hotel note that still says January is out of date. And it now takes over two sites: Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Sheikh Zayed Road, and the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) at Expo City Dubai. The 2026 show was the first to be split this way.

Gulfood is a trade show. You register on the organiser’s own form at gulfood.com, and the organiser warns about fake visitor and exhibitor lists, so deal only with its channels. We sell no tickets, passes or badges, and we hold no visitor list.

Which sectors sit in which venue

The organiser shows the split as a combined floor plan image, not as text. What follows is our reading of that image, so check the hall numbers on the plan itself before anything is fixed.

• At DWTC: beverages, Gulfood Fresh, Power Brands, dairy, seafood, meat and poultry, and Gulfood Logistics.
• At DEC, Expo City: World Food, the Startup Zone, grocery trade, fats and oils, and rice, pulses and grains.

This decides where the car goes. The two sites are about 40 km apart by road. A dairy and seafood buyer is a Sheikh Zayed Road visitor. A rice and pulses buyer is an Expo City visitor. A buyer with both on the list has a two-venue week, and those days need planning before anyone books a vehicle.

The Metro reaches both venues

Look at what the city and the venues already offer first. For one or two people it is often the simplest way in.

• DWTC has its own station, World Trade Centre, on the Red Line.
• Expo City is served by Expo 2020 Station (R76), also on the Red Line. The venue describes it as a few minutes’ walk from the halls.
• The venue’s visitor guidance gives train frequency as every 5 to 7 minutes off peak and every 3 to 4 minutes at peak.
• At Expo City, taxis and ride-hailing drop off at a designated area on Boulevard 2020 Street. DWTC lists RTA taxis and pick-up and drop-off points for Careem and Uber.
• The venue also mentions that bag checks or screening may apply at Gulfood.

In 2026 the organiser ran free shuttle buses between the two venues, and the RTA recommended the Metro, according to press reports. When we checked on 29 October 2026 there was no 2027 transport page on gulfood.com, so shuttles, parking and drop-off arrangements for March are not yet published. The organiser publishes this closer to the event. Check the RTA timetable for the last train too, because a late finish or a dinner can run past it. We found no extended Metro hours for March.

The airport run: DXB and the other airports

DXB is the main airport for most overseas visitors. The road times below are our own free-flow estimates from public map data. They contain no traffic and no show-day crowds, so read them as approximate and allow more on show days.

For a cross-check, the organiser of a healthcare show held at the same two venues quotes DXB to DWTC at about 15 minutes by taxi and about 20 by Metro, and DXB to Expo City at about 30 minutes by taxi and about 45 by Metro. Those are its figures for a different show on an ordinary day.

DWC has limited commercial flights, so check your airline. If you do land there, Expo City is close, which suits a week built around the DEC halls. Our Al Maktoum airport transfer page covers that arrival, and Abu Dhabi transfers covers the run from AUH.

Planning the arrival day

The show opens on a Monday, so a visitor flying in for the opening has the day before as an arrival day. Luggage goes to the hotel first. We found nothing published about bag storage at either venue, so ask the organiser before you plan to go from the airport straight to a hall.

Timing matters this year for one more reason. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin about 8 February and Eid al-Fitr about 9 or 10 March, subject to moon sighting, according to a forecast reported by Gulf News. Gulfood opens a few days after the expected holiday. These are expected dates, not fixed ones, so keep your flights and hotel flexible until the moon has been sighted.

March also falls inside the peak season window, so larger vehicles and good hotel rooms go early. If your group lands together, big group arrival at DXB explains how a pick-up for 20 or 40 people is run.

Where a private vehicle fits

We are Dubai Bus Services. We are not the organiser’s transport provider and not a partner of Gulfood, DWTC, DEC or Expo City. Our vehicles are private, pre-booked and door to door, and they are separate from any shuttle the organiser runs.

That suits a delegation, a buying team or a group that lands together and wants one driver, one pick-up time and its luggage in the same vehicle. A scheduled shuttle suits someone happy to join a timetable. Many visitors will use the Metro and be perfectly well served.

The driver is given your flight details and the hotel, and the written quote lists the stops. We do not know in advance whether a coach, minibus or chauffeur car may use the drop-off areas at either venue. We agree the drop-off point with you and check the organiser’s access plan before the day, and we never assume a bay.

Seat sizes run from the Mercedes V-Class through the Mercedes Sprinter and the 30-seater mini coach to the 50-seater coach. For a single buyer, the airport chauffeur service is the closer fit. Venue pages: DWTC event transport and Expo City chauffeur.

Before you fly

Entry rules depend on your passport. Check the official UAE government visa page before you book, and check your own government’s travel advice. We do not give visa or travel advice.

To ask for a quote, send the dates, the number of people, the airport and arrival time, the hotel, and which sectors you are visiting. We reply with a fixed written quote before you accept. Use the booking page.

Related: DWTC event transport · Expo City Dubai chauffeur · Event & conference transport · Dubai airport transfer for groups · Big group arrival at DXB · Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) transfer · Peak season booking guide · Get a quote

Keep reading

• Gulfood 2027 two-venue day: Seeing both Gulfood venues in one day: the 40 km between DWTC and Expo City, the Metro, the organiser’s shuttle and when one private driver makes the day simpler.
• Marina, JBR and Palm hotels to Gulfood 2027: Staying at Dubai Marina, JBR or Palm Jumeirah for Gulfood 2027: road times to the Trade Centre and to Expo City, the Metro, and the morning and evening run.
• Downtown, Business Bay and DIFC hotels to Gulfood 2027: Staying in Downtown, Business Bay or DIFC for Gulfood, 15 to 19 March 2027: a short run to the World Trade Centre, a longer one to Expo City, and what the Metro covers.
• Gulfood 2027 buyer delegation transport plan: A five-day transport plan for a trade mission or buyer delegation at Gulfood 2027: airport meet, daily runs to the right venue, and evening dinner transfers.
• WHX Dubai 2027 transport guide: WHX Dubai 2027 runs at two venues, Expo City and the World Trade Centre. How the Red Line and the free venue shuttle work, and where a private vehicle fits.
• DXB airport to WHX Dubai 2027 venues: Landing at Dubai International for WHX Dubai 2027? Times to the World Trade Centre and Expo City, hotel first or venue first, bags, and the way back.