Third edition of Indonesia Solo Exhibition opens at Expo Centre Sharjah

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Al Midfa, Chairman - Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 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.

The five-day ISE, which is Indonesia's largest and most comprehensive trade fair in the Gulf region, is featuring approximately 300 companies displaying a wide array of products and services.

"It is my privilege to inaugurate this quintessential exposition which has now taken place for the third year in a row," said Mr. Rhenald Kasali, Special Staff to the Minister of Trade, Republic of Indonesia, and in charge of NAFED (National Agency for Export Development) after the opening of the Show.

"Indonesia's exports have witnessed significant growth in the last few years due to such shows. Events like the ISE provide us not only with information about our export markets but also facilitate better interaction with our overseas customers. Both are equally important. Traditionally, Indonesia and the Arab world have had very close trade relations and the ISE is a true reflection of the age-long tradition. The ISE is an endeavor to strengthen not only the commercial ties but also the cultural ties between the Arab countries and Indonesia," he added.

Currently, Indonesia exports more than 3,000 items to the Middle East and Africa region with the number increasing steadily every year. Exports to the Middle East and Africa region constitute 6 percent of the country's total exports.

In 2004, Indonesia's total export was worth USD $ 71,585 million. Of this, Petroleum and Natural Gas accounted for USD $ 15,645 million and Non-petroleum products USD $ 55,939 million.

As far as the GCC region was concerned, Indonesia's exports to the UAE during the same period was USD $ 745 million, constituting 1.04 per cent of its total exports. Saudi Arabia too was a major export destination in 2004 with USD $ 418 million worth of exports from Indonesia. Qatar, on the other hand, imported Indonesian goods worth USD $ 34 million during this period.

Since the last few months, Indonesia exports to the global market have been witnessing a significant growth. Its Q1 exports this year jumped by 31.39 percent to US$ 19.76 billion from $15.04 billion in the same period last year, thanks in part to increased demand for coal, ores, copper and other minerals as well as knitted apparel.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the country's non oil and gas exports led the surge with a first quarter performance of $15.43 billion, up by more than a third from 2004`s first quarter of $11.50 billion.

The mining sector continued to push non-oil and gas exports in the opening quarter of 2005. Exports in the mining sector rose by 125,69 percent in the first quarter this year from the same period last year, with the main driver being the commodity group of ores, slag and ash, which include ores of manganese, iron, copper, cobalt, aluminum, lead, zinc, tin, gold and silver.

The recent growth in Indonesia's exports may to a large extent be attributed to the rising oil prices. As oil process soared to above $50 per barrel, countries sought cheaper alternative energy sources with many turning to coal.

Indonesia's coal exports doubled from $550.1 million in the January-March period last year to 1.11 billion in 2005.

The country's as oil and gas exports too shot up almost 22 percent to $4.33 billion in the first quarter of 2005 compared to $3.54 billion in the previous year.

Indonesia's exports in 2004 reached a historic high of US$69.71 billion, up by 11.49 percent from the year before, boosted by strong sales of non-oil and gas commodities including palm oil, electronics, clothing, coal and tin.

"The Indonesia Solo Exhibition is now an established sourcing platform for Indonesian goods and services in the region," said Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"The last two editions of ISE had witnessed very strong participation from Indonesian companies. Besides, the trade visitor turnout at the event had also been exceptionally high. The event is undoubtedly an important link in strengthening bilateral ties between Indonesia and the GCC states in general, and the UAE in particular," he added.

ISE 2005 is being jointly organised by the National Agency for Export Development (NAFED) of the Indonesian Government's Ministry of Trade in close cooperation with the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indonesian Consulate General in Dubai, and Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

This year's ISE is featuring products from the agriculture, forestry, marine and plantation, food products, automotives, wood, household, chemicals, electronics, electrical, traditional herbal medicine and cosmetics, small scale and handicrafts industries in Indonesia.

Service sectors like tourism and IT are also prominently represented at the event.

Other attractions include travel and cultural publications and opportunities to interact with regional and provincial governments from Indonesia who are keen to promote tourism and attract investments.

"Indonesia is fast emerging as an important supplier of a wide range of consumer and industrial products. The ISE offers regional businessmen and investors an unrivalled opportunity to establish contacts with Indonesian companies, identify new profitable product lines and become part of Indonesia's success story in the Middle East markets," said Mr. Fasahat Ali Khan, Acting Director General, Expo Centre Sharjah.

"The ISE provides traders in the Middle East and Africa region an opportunity to source quality Indonesian products and services at an affordable price right at their doorstep," he added.

As in the last two editions, a large number of traders from Middle East, Africa and Central Asia are expected to be visiting ISE 2005. ISE 2004 attracted 21,053 visitors, of which 9,428 were trade visitors from 57 countries, and generated business worth USD $ 14 million.

Some of the major attractions for the general public at ISE 2005 are the fashion and cultural shows, and the food demos and tasting sessions.

An investment seminar on September 20th will be of special interest to those who are keen on exploring investment opportunities in Indonesia.

The ISE 2005 is open exclusively for trade on September 19 and 20 from 10 am to 1 pm and from 4.30 pm to 9.30 pm and again on September 21 and 22 from 10 am to 1 pm. For the general visitors, the event is open from September 21 to September 23 between 4.30 pm and 9.30 pm. Children under 16 are not allowed in the halls.