Following the previous week’s historic four-day visit to China by Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, organiser and venue manager Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has announced a targeted strategy to enhance business opportunities by providing stronger trade platforms to the world’s second-largest economy.

Last year, DWTC welcomed over one million business visitors to its venues and has long been a key alliance partner for Chinese business groups looking to tap opportunities in new markets. 2007 saw one of the largest congregations of China-based companies in the Middle East, when the DWTC hosted Global Sources’ inaugural China Sourcing Fair in Dubai, which drew suppliers from across the Greater China region.

China continues to play a significant role in trade events that are focused on priority sectors for Dubai, like Big 5 for Construction, Arab Health for Medical and Pharmaceuticals, Gulfood for the Food Industry and GITEX Technology Week, which is the region’s largest technology event.

In 2008, DWTC is scheduled to host the second edition of Global Sources’ China Sourcing Fair in Dubai, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) from 9-11 June. Executives anticipate the event to be 80% larger than last year’s Fair, reflecting the huge interest in bilateral trade between the two economies.

Helal Almarri, Director General, DWTC, said: “The UAE and China have fostered strong trade relations and the range of the import and export product base is not only expanding rapidly, but also becoming increasingly diverse. The exhibitions and events sector is a key facilitator that provides the ideal networking platform to strengthen these commercial links between the two countries. I see DWTC as being able to contribute significantly to developing new business partnerships with China, and our strategy will focus on extending the range of available opportunities to network with Chinese organisations in 2008, aligned with the strategic targets for Dubai.”

The total volume of trade between the UAE and China grew by an annual average of 40 per cent to $20 billion (Dh73.4 billion) in 2007, making the UAE China's second-biggest trading partner in the GCC after Saudi Arabia. The Chinese government has targeted US$100 billion in total trade with the Middle East by 2010.

The rising number of business travelers from China to this region is also having a positive economic impact. Statistics from the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing indicate that over 68,000 tourists from China stayed in Dubai from January to September 2007 alone.

The China Sourcing Fair exhibition in Dubai is targeted at serving the needs of importers and volume buyers in the Middle East and North Africa region that seek high quality products from competitive suppliers in Greater China.

Based on last year’s success of this event, the range of companies for 2008 is being expanded to include specialists in fashion accessories and electronics. One of the more popular features of the China Sourcing Fair in Dubai, which is scheduled to be repeated this year, is a series of specialist workshops on strategies to tap the Chinese marketplace.

Merle A. Hinrichs, Chairman and CEO, Global Sources, organiser of the Fair, said:  “The China Sourcing Fair in Dubai is built on the success of the Fairs held in Hong Kong and mainland China and offers buyers from the Middle East, Africa, India and the Russian Federation, convenient and easy access to new sources of quality products.”

“We were delighted at the success of last year’s China Sourcing Fair in Dubai and we look forward to building on that in 2008.  The expansion of the event this year is a clear indicator of the increasing demand within the region,” he added.

According to the Chinese Embassy, there are over 200,000 Chinese citizens living and working in the UAE. The China Sourcing Fair in Dubai is expected to be one of the key events focused on the Chinese market to feature in the 2008 event’s calendar for DWTC, which aims to position Dubai as the leading destination for all major exhibitions, conferences and events in line with the strategic Vision for Dubai 2015.