Dubai potential Mid East manufacturing hub, says Al Ghurair

Al Ghurair was speaking at the inauguration of Private Label Middle East (PLME), the region's first contract manufacturing event, at the Dubai International Trade Centre (DIEC). He said: "Dubai's growing infrastructure, facilities and liberal foreign investment rules make it a very attractive destination for companies setting-up regional bases."

PLME 2004, running at the DIEC until Thursday, features manufacturers exhibiting goods ranging from exotic tea to cleaning and detergent products for an own brand market that some industry sources estimate is growing at over 30 per cent a year.

"There is a noticeable trend towards private and own label products and it is forecast private label products in the region's large retailers will account for about 8 - 25 per cent of total sales over the next three to five years," said Justin Boutros, Managing Director, Channels Exhibitions organisers of PLME.

"The number of companies who have registered to visit the event illustrates the potential for own brand products to really take off in the Middle East as retailers discover the marketing and financial benefits of branding their goods and today we had visitors from all around the region."

Regional exhibitors at the show include Kuwait's Al Sharhan industries, Saudi Arabia's United Food Industries Corporation, and the UAE's Emirates Steel Wool Manufacturing Est, Chemcrown International, IFFCO, Fayfa Chemicals Factory, Gulf Centre for Soaps and Chemical Industries, WJ Towell & Co, Premier Chemical Industry and Hatta Mineral Water.

PLME 2004 features more than 60 companies from over 17 countries including Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Kuwait, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Turkey and UAE.

Sectors covered by the event include food and beverage, health and beauty, home and kitchenware, cleaning and hygiene, stationery, textiles, paper and plastic, and industrial consumables.

PLME 2004 show timings are 9.30 am to 1.00 pm and 5.00 pm until 9.00 pm.

PLME is held under the patronage of the Department of Economic Development, Government of Dubai.