Leading textile machinery producers descend on Dubai

Organised by Dubai-based Streamline Marketing in collaboration with XPO Events / Turret Group, the event is a major showcase for manufacturers of textiles and garment machinery including some of the industry's major players such as the Saurer Group, Fongs, SMIT SpA, Superba S.A.S and Zimmer Austria as well as a consortium of 22 leading Italian companies, TEX.BI.MA.

"Since the World Trade Organisation textile quotas were removed at the beginning of this year, there have been major changes in the textile and garment markets worldwide," said Nick Webb, director, Streamline Marketing, at a press conference held on 19 March.

"One such outcome has been the increase in demand for modern machinery as smaller players in the market, many of them based in the Middle East, are looking for new technologies to help them compete with low-prices from big producers in India and China," he said.

"We have come to Dubai as it is the perfect meeting place for our members and allows us easy access to our clients in the rest of the Middle East," said Maurizio Vaglio, director of TEX.BI.MA.

And with a joint turnover of US$300 million in 2004, Vaglio went on to explain, TEX.BI.MA members have witnessed major growth in Iran and Syria and they will be using the event to strengthen these ties.

In the UAE, the opening of free trade agreement negotiations with the US, a major importer of textile goods and garments, is going to have a positive impact on local producers.

"UAE manufacturers of high-quality, niche textile products have not been affected by the removal of the trade quotas," said Amir Kanawati, Sales Manager, Oubari-Gulf, one of the biggest textile machinery agents in the Gulf region which will exhibit at Textile Expo.

"However, in the lower segment of the market, the UAE simply cannot compete with manufacturers in countries such as India, Bangladesh and China where labour and production costs are much lower," he said.

The free trade agreement which is expected to be signed by the end of 2005 will counteract this disadvantage by making UAE manufacturers more competitive in the US market. Talks for similar agreements are scheduled to begin with Qatar and Kuwait.

Representing more than 15 leading international manufacturers, including Sunstar, Korea, Treasure, Japan and Investronica, Spain, Oubari-Gulf will be using Textile Expo Dubai as a platform to communicate with the country's garment makers the need to invest in new machinery as a way to stay ahead of the competition.

Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Minister of Finance & Industry and Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Textile Expo Dubai starts on 20 March and will run for four days between 10 am and 6 pm. Attendance is free and for industry visitors only.

The event is officially supported by Temsad (Turkish Machinery Association), Kotma (Korean Textile Machinery Association), CTMA (Chinese Textile Machinery Association) and ITAMMA (Indian Textile Accessories and Machinery Manufacturers Association). Running alongside the exhibition will be an international seminar programme which will feature technical presentations on the latest textile technologies.