TEXPO 2005 opens at Expo Centre Sharjah

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Mohammed Salem Al Mosharrekh - Board Member (SCCI), Mr. Fasahat Ali Khan - Acting Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah, directors of various government departments, and members of the diplomatic corps and trade associations.

"TEXPO 2005 is a one-stop sourcing platform for the regional apparel and allied industries for solutions and technology that will help bring down cost and improve quality of the products at the same time," said Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Obaid Al-Shamsi after the inauguration ceremony.

"For those Garment manufacturers across the region, including in the UAE, seeking specialisation to cope with competition post Quota 2005, TEXPO with cutting edge solutions and technology on display, is the ideal platform to tap," he added.

This year's TEXPO, with over 100 exhibitors from across the globe, is showcasing some of the latest solutions and technologies for the garment manufacturing industry as well for those engaged in tent making, upholstering, interior decoration, blind and awning manufacturing, furniture making, auto seat manufacturing, and boat building.

Some of the leading technology and solutions supplying companies for the apparel and allied industries participating in TEXPO 2005 are Al Borj Garment Machinery Trading Company Limited, Al Naseej Machines Trading Company LLC, Global Trading Company, Oubari Gulf, Qi Quali -Taiwan, Jyh Long-Taiwan, Pegasus Consultancy Private Limited, Hi- Tech Machinery Company, S&M-France, JCP-Hong Kong, Hangzhou Jingwei - China, Rashington-China, Swarovski Middle East FZE, and Transgulf Enterprises among others.

Texpo 2005 has on display the complete range of technology and products used by garment manufacturers and allied industries, including industrial & domestic sewing machines, knitting and hosiery machinery and accessories for the making up industry, pressing machines, industrial irons, ironing tables etc., embroidery machines, laboratory dyeing machinery, quality testing and measuring equipment, accessories, including machinery components, fasteners, threads, machine needles, raschel elastics, zippers, dyes & chemicals, tapes & ribbons, enzymes, softeners etc., yarns and fabrics, and more.

"Post Quota 2005, the scenario for the apparel and allied industries in the region has changed. Companies in the Middle East have realised that to cope with competition, they need to focus on quality and specialisation. It is therefore not surprising that substantial investments are now being made by the apparel and allied industries to acquire the latest technology and solutions," said Mr. Fasahat Ali Khan, acting director general, Expo Centre Sharjah.

"TEXPO 2005 has successfully brought the leading brands in garment manufacturing technology on a single platform thereby giving the regional apparel and allied industries the opportunity to see first hand the latest developments in machinery, equipment and fabrics," he added.

Mr. Khan further said that the UAE would continue to remain the preferred sourcing and marketing hub of the industry due to its strategic location, world-class facilities, industry-friendly laws and initiatives like the Dubai Textile City. The UAE was on its way to becoming a textile trading hub, and a leading player in high-end & quality apparel and a conduit for technology transfers, Mr Khan observed.

Agreeing with Mr. Khan that the UAE as a manufacturing base had an advantage over other countries, Mr. Shafaat Ali Khan, general manager, Al Borj Garment Machinery Trading Company, said: "The business in UAE has specific trend and people are trained to do different types of garments in their factories whereas in other countries big manufacturers have developed product wise specialization and their factories are fine tuned only for those specific types of garments."

"The manufacturers in the UAE have developed their business in a manner that allows them to survive manufacturing whatever orders they are able to procure. After 2004, this capability has given them an edge over manufacturers of other countries. Not only has the quality of manufactured goods gone up but also the delivery time has become faster," he added.

Mr. Shafaat Ali Khan further said that the UAE's strategic location, superior infrastructure, and easy availability of vessels enabled timely shipment of consignments, thereby resulting in increased buyer confidence.

UAE's annual garment exports in 2003 to the world markets touched around Dh619.4 million in 2003. Of this, the US topped the list of garment importers taking 29.9 per cent of UAE's exports followed by Canada, UK, Germany, Singapore, France, Holland, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Ireland.

The UAE is also a major passageway for garment trade as re-export figures reached as high as Dh2.3 billion in 2003. The main garment re-export destinations are Algeria, Oman, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

A major highlight on the opening day of TEXPO 2005 was TexpoForum that was held on the sidelines. Business leaders from across the Garment Manufacturing industry in the UAE gathered under one roof to discuss ways on how to make the apparel and allied industries in the Middle East more competitive. Also discussed in details at the Forum were issues like innovations in new technology and productivity enhancement solutions, latest market trends and updates in fashion technology, and the importance of UAE from a garment manufacturer's perspective.

Speakers at the Forum included Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Tuncay Koru of AMF Reece, Mr. Manjeet Singh Bakshi of Pegasus Japan, and Mr. Shafaat Ali Khan of Al Borj.

The TEXPO 2005 show is open daily from 10 am to 1 pm and 4.30 am to 9.30 pm for trade only. It concludes on September 15.