Middle East Toy Fair to underscore UAE's role as trading hub

"The Middle East Toy Fair is the ideal platform for exhibitors to network and meet major buyers, industry influencers, and educators involved in the shaping of the Middle East toy market," said Monica Schulz Blank, Show Manager Middle East Toy Fair.

She noted that Dubai plays a prominent role as a trade hub for the region and in 2006, the emirate imported toys worth over Dhs518m, serving as a distribution hub for the neighboring markets. "During the past decade, Dubai expanded its trading activity well beyond its traditional base in Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran," Ms Schulz Blank remarked.

"As a market for other countries' exports, Dubai's potential is much greater than its size would indicate. A booming re-export trade adds substantially to the demand and a large proportion toys imported into Dubai are for redistribution to neighboring markets," stressed Ms Schulz Blank.

"The Middle East Toy Fair offers international companies an ideal gateway for developing their business in the Middle East, the Asian subcontinent, East Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, the CIS and Central Asia and this is due to Dubai's role as a regional business base. Dubai is strategically located midway between the Far East and Europe on the east-west trading routes and between the former Soviet Union and Africa on the north-south axis," Ms Schulz Blank observed.

She noted that Dubai International Airport, which ranks as one of the world's busiest in terms of transit passengers, is linked to over 150 destinations around the world by more than 100 international airlines.

Dubai's role as a trading hub combined with the double digit growth rate of the toy industry pegged at 11.8% per annum augurs well for the Middle East Toy Fair. The Middle East toy market is booming and is currently worth over Dhs5.50bn. The average annual expenditure per child, on toys and video games in the region is Dhs1200, almost double that of Europe and second only to North America.

Baby and Infant Middle East as well as Stationery and Back to School Middle East will be dedicated product areas within the Middle East Toy Fair, giving exhibitors and visitors, specific areas to source products and forge new business relationships. The Trade Fair is guided by the 2008 Middle East Toy Fair Advisory Panel formulated by the prominent industry players The Toy Store, Emsons, Simba Toys Middle East, Kidz Inc., Al Shula Trading and MBC Group.

It is a unique platform for exhibitors to network with one another and meet major buyers, industry influencers, and educators involved in the shaping of the Middle East toy market. Following the international trend for high quality toys with educational value, 55% of all visitors in 2007 were looking for educational toys and learning products, as independent market research showed.