Al Tayer inaugurates Glass, Ceramics, Minerals & Mining show

Touring the show along with His Excellency Abdul Rahman Al Mutaiwee, DCCI's Director General, Al Tayer said last year Dubai achieved a 21% increase in exports and re-exports despatching some Dhs 39.4 billion worth of goods to 109 countries.

"Our main markets were Iran and Saudi Arabia as well as other Gulf countries, India and Africa," he said.

Al Tayer added that during the year, the DCCI issues 238,000 certificates of origin, processing, on average 800 certificates daily.

The Chamber President went on to commit the DCCI to supporting specialised sector exhibitions, such as GCMM, which features exhibitors from 12 countries and pavilions from Italy, Canada and South Africa.

"The specialised exhibition sector reflects very positively on the UAE economy and deserves our full support," he said. "Dubai is now clearly the Middle East's exhibition hub hosting 103 shows annually serving a wide range of varying sectors."

The show, which has been expanded for the first time to include the minerals and mining sectors, is organised by International Expo-Consults (IEC). Making their Middle East debuts at the show are the Italian glass-processing machinery and accessories suppliers' association (GIMAV) and The Canadian Association Of Mining Equipment and Services For Export - the national voice of Canada's mining industry.

Speaking at the show opening, Massimo Sessa, Italian Commercial Attache in Dubai said in the first nine months of last year Italian exports to the UAE rose between 9-10 per cent reaching some US $1.7 billion of which gold, furniture and leather products were key components.

South Africa's Council for Geoscience, one of the world's top geological organisations, is also at GCMM in a bid to develop ties between the Gulf's burgeoning mining sector and the South African Development Community (SADC) countries.

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