UAE, Hong Kong to boost trade ties: Trade development council

Abdul Aziz Nasser, deputy director, Middle East, HKTDC at the event on Monday.

UAE-Hong Kong trade ties are set to consolidate further given the spurt of events and exhibitions lined up in both the countries starting as early as first week of September and running towards the end of the year, said Abdul Aziz Nasser, deputy director, Middle East, HKTDC.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, or HKTDC on Monday announced ten international trade fairs covering watches and clocks, fashion, electronics products, building materials, green products, lighting products, spectacles as well as wine and spirits will be held in Hong Kong in the coming September, October and November, which serve as a one-stop trading platform for exhibitors to meet with quality buyers and to tap into new markets.
The UAE is Hong Kong's 13th largest trading partner. In the first half of 2016, the total trade value between the two places reached $5.5 billion, with Hong Kong's total export to UAE reaching $3.5 billion, and import value from UAE over $2 billion. The UAE and Middle East enterprises may utilise Hong Kong's exhibitions as an international platform to explore new opportunities.
Nasser, said: "From April 2015 to March 2016, the HKTDC's fairs welcomed more than 37,000 exhibitors and over 764,000 trade buyers from around the world. Among them, over 280 exhibitors and 12,500 buyers were from the Middle East against 13,000 Middle East visitors in corresponding period. We look forward to seeing more UAE as well as Middle East corporations tap into the worldwide markets through HKTDC exhibitions."
The council is closely monitoring developments and eyeing potential opportunities from the much anticipated The Expo 2020 event. "HKTDC is globally recognised in exhibitions industry. We have handles large exhibitions and are not ruling out any significant involvment in the UAE's Expo 2020 event," said Nasser.
Each year, HKTDC organises more than 30 exhibitions in Hong Kong, from which form the six largest marketplaces of their kind in Asia; five are the largest in the world, namely the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show cum the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show; Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair; Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair; Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) cum electronicAsia; and Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) cum Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo. Supported by a combination of international quality exhibitors and buyers, our world-class trade fairs, together with the small-order zone which allows buyers to source in smaller lots, offer one-stop marketing and sourcing platforms, and represent prime opportunities for traders from UAE and the Middle East to gather the latest market intelligence, and to form partnerships and develop their business through Hong Kong.
"The Chinese mainland has announced the "Belt and Road Initiative", which has been designed to enhance the orderly free-flow of economic factors and the efficient allocation of resources. UAE and the Middle East countries are included in the Belt and Road Initiative, implying more cross-over business opportunities to be uncovered. The HKTDC is devoted to boosting trade and strengthening the bilateral relation. With our concerted effort, I'm sure more trade opportunities will continuously be developed between Hong Kong and UAE," concluded Nasser.
- sandhya@khaleejtimes.com