International Autumn Trade Fair 2006: Regional economic growth attracts 25 per cent more participation, attracting 750 companies to expo

The fair which will run at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre (DIECC) from December 17 - 20 2006 will host 750 companies representing 25 countries compared to last year's participation of 588 exhibitors from 23 countries.

Commenting on the increased participation at IATF06, Mr. Satish Khanna, General Manager of Al Fajer Information and Services, the organisers of the show, said:

"This year's expo comes in the backdrop of solid economic growth in the MENA region which has catalysed spending and business growth. IATF06 has directly benefited from this unprecedented growth with regional consumer good industry registering excellent performance in the last two to three years."

"We are confident that the growth prospects in the regional consumer goods industry will propel more visitors to the fair. We expect IATF06 to attract around 22,000 trade buyers this year compared to some 21,000 last year," he said.

This year's IATF06 will also include 'Style in Hong Kong in Dubai,' organised under the banner of Hong Kong Trade Development Council and also the fourth edition of Indonesian Solo Exhibition (ISE), Indonesia's largest and most comprehensive show in the Gulf so far. Both these shows will run concurrently with IATF06. 'Style Hong Kong in Dubai' - the largest expo of Hong Kong products showcased in the Middle East will be participating for the third consecutive year on a larger scale with 230 exhibitors.

Highlighting the business prospects of the 2006 edition, Mr. Khanna, said: "Over the years, IATF has proved to be a comprehensive trade platform for global companies keen to expand their reach and enter the Middle East market. One of the significant pointers to the show's appeal is that regular exhibitors at the expo have come back with larger participation while there are many new entrants who are keen to get a foothold in the market."

The fourth edition of Indonesian Solo Exhibition (ISE) is coming to Dubai for the first time while the previous three editions of the show were organized in Sharjah earlier. Indonesia exports more than 3000 products to the MENA region with the number increasing every year. The ISE is being jointly organized by the National Agency for Export Development (NAFED) of the Indonesian Government's Ministry of Trade, in close cooperation with the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indonesian Consulate General in Dubai.

The popular four-day IATF06 this year will host the official national pavilions of seven countries, occupying 80 per cent of the 18,500-square metre exhibition space. The national pavilions include 150 exhibitors from China, 230 from Hong Kong, 15 from Bangladesh, 50 from Ghana, 60 from Singapore, 50 from Korea & 125 from Indonesia. Other countries participating at IATF06 at individual levels include Croatia, Italy, Malaysia, Turkey, UAE, India, Poland, Vietnam etc.

Participation from China continues to be enormous at the IATF, with the pavilion being organised by several official bodies like China Foreign Trade organisation, China Orient, Sinobal China, CCPIT - Ningbo, Asia Capital & Jiangsu Intl Consultancy and others. These participants have been represented at the IATF since its inception.

For the second year in a row, Singapore Information Services Pte Ltd. Is organising the Singapore Pavilion at the International Autumn Trade Fair. This year, the pavilion will comprise of 60 booths. Korea is another major participant with 50 leading consumer manufacturers gearing up to showcase an array of products such as automobiles and auto parts, building material, cosmetics, chemicals and allied products, electronics and electricals, fashion wear and accessories, gifts, house wares and kitchen wares, plastic household products, handicrafts, stationery, etc. IATF06 has stirred high expectation among the Koreans and six local governments (Hwaseong, Namyangju, Anyang, Suwon and Ansan in Kyunggido and Jeollabuk-do) and two associations (KITRI -Korea Information Technology Research Institute and KITA -Korean International Trade Association) are giving extensive support to exhibitors in the show.

Other participants at the show include Bangladesh, which is taking part at the show for the 10th time, under the banner of Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh and Ghana which is participating for the first time under the banner of Ghana Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry under the sponsorship of Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Ghana Trade Fair Authority.

IATF06 will unveil an exciting mix of products comprising cosmetics, foodstuffs, electronics, household appliances, plastic household products, toys, stationery, electrical items, handicrafts, carpets, garments, textiles, house ware, kitchen ware, sanitary ware, novelties, machinery, machine tools, hardware accessories and diary products.