Ramadan Fair to be held at Expo Centre Sharjah from 25th September to 14th October

The Ramadan Fair is one of the region's most popular multi-product consumer fairs and family entertainment events and is hosted from around the time of the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan till the Eid Al Fitr festival, which is one of the most important Islamic celebrations. The event is made open to the public from 8 pm till 12.30 am during the Ramadan period and from 4.30 pm till 11 pm during the Eid holidays.

This year's Ramadan Fair will be featuring a host of international as well as local exhibitors and displaying an extremely varied product range that will include gifts and novelties, textile and readymade garments, perfumes and cosmetics, stationery items and toys, home furniture and handicrafts, carpets and rugs, home appliances, sports equipment and wear, food items, electronics and electrical goods, household items, and leather garments.

'The month of Ramadan is a month of intense spiritual renewal and is followed by the joyous celebration of Eid Al Fitr,' said Mr. Saif Al Midfa, Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah.

'The festival of Eid Al Fitr is celebrated by Muslims all over the world with great splendour and the spirit of celebration can be witnessed across all age groups with people making generous contributions to the needy, exchanging greetings, buying gifts and visiting friends and relatives, adorning new attires, and preparing sumptuous meals among others.

In fact, there is a massive surge in spending on consumer goods and services during the month of Ramadan in preparation for the Eid festival. In the UAE too, the festival of Eid Al Fitr triggers a significant increase in spending by consumers, especially on food products, electronic items, garments, footwear, household, and gifts,' he added.

A number of retailers in the UAE claim that the Ramadan period represents 15 percent or more of their total annual sales. This trend, to some extent, may be attributed to the large number of visitors from the other GCC States that the UAE attracts and also the aggressive product promotions that are carried out within the country during the period.

'The Ramadan Fair is an ideal platform for retailers, both foreign and local, to increase sales of their products and services in the region,' said Mr. Saif Al Midfa.

'Given the profile of the event and the different nationalities, the wide age groups, and the varying social backgrounds and incomes of the visitors, it is also a perfect opportunity to boost brand image, enhance customer loyalty, assess marketability of new products, and launch new products in the region,' he added.

The 2006 edition of the Ramadan Fair featured over 250 exhibitors from China, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Nepal and the UAE, and attracted 117,128 visitors from across the Middle East region.

A major attraction of the Ramadan Fair this year will be entertainment programmes and the daily raffle draws that will be held alongside. These are organized in line with the festive spirit that accompanies Eid Al Fitr.

The Ramadan Fair is organized by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.