H.E. Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Saleh leads 5-man UAE delegation to 77th Izmir International Fair in Turkey

H.E. Al Saleh will discuss potential partnerships and the strengthening of bilateral ties with key members of Turkey's Ministry of Trade at the event venue.

Other members of the delegation include H.E. Shaheen Ali Shaheen, Assistant Secretary General, Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry H.E. Hussein Mohammad Al Mahmoudi, Director General, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; H.E. Saed Al Awadi, CEO, Dubai Export Development Corp.; and Mr. Bader Naser Al Janibi, Export Subsidies Coordinator, Department of Planning and Economy. The team plans to secure potential agreements to capitalize on Turkey's favorable business and investment environment.

"The Izmir International Fair is the only trade event in Turkey which covers all of the country's industrial branches. This show provides a perfect platform for us to interact with both private and public sector representatives and forge productive partnerships that will take advantage of the strengths of both our countries. Turkey remains one of the UAE's prime target markets given the vibrancy of its business environment,"

said H.E. Al Saleh.

The UAE and Turkey continue to maintain robust political and economic ties. They have forged several agreements in areas such as transport and taxation and periodically hold meetings via the Turkish-Arab Economic Forum and the UAE-Turkey Business Council. The volume of trade between the UAE and Turkey grew a phenomenal 400% from $700m in 2002 to $3.7bn in 2007, with mutual investments reaching $2.5bn in the past two years. The UAE currently has around $4bn in investments in Turkey. For its part, Turkey recently committed $40bn in investments to the UAE within the next five years.

"Our upcoming trade mission promises to enhance an already productive partnership. It is also an opportunity for us to boost our economic diversification efforts, as Turkey offers lucrative business prospects in growth sectors such as real estate, banking, tourism, textile and energy. Izmir's public and corporate appeal will give us an excellent glimpse into Turkey's investment potential, which will enable us to properly formulate appropriate strategies to expand our bilateral relations,"

said H.E. Shaheen.

Izmir International Fair is the first trade show in Turkey to be recognized by the Union des Foires Internationales, also known as the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. The event is renowned for hosting concurrent festival activities and is one of the most patronized general trade fairs in the world. The 77th edition will be under the patronage of the Turkish Republic Ministry of Industry and Trade and will be supported by various chambers of commerce, industry groups and local government organizations.