JEDDAH, 24 March 2006 — Overseas exhibitors at Saudi Arabia’s international trade fair, which ended here yesterday, said they were considering proposals for setting up joint ventures and also in the process of reaching deals worth several million riyals.
Upbeat about their participation were Turkish, Iranian, Malaysian, Chinese and Polish companies with some of them saying that the exhibition served their purpose of finding new agents and distributors, and also examining the scope for expanding their export base to this part of the world.
“We find the Kingdom and the rest of the Gulf a very important and growing market for our furniture decors, textiles and other products,” Ismail Sezen, project coordinator of Istanbul-based Efekt Trade Exhibitions, told Arab News. Turkey was represented by 13 companies and an official from the Ankara Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “Our country’s imports from the Kingdom are far more than our exports to this country and so we’re keen to expand our export base,” he said, adding that two of the exhibitors had been discussing joint venture prospects with local businessmen and two others had been discussing partnership plans with their local counterparts.
Seventeen Iranian companies exhibited their products with their product range comprising cosmetics, building and construction materials, carpets, glasses and glassware, paints, and machinery and spare parts for the automobile industry.
“Export of our carpets to the Kingdom have marked a phenomenal rise and we hope to further increase our market share,” said Kian Motamedi Kia, president of Tehran-based Nojan Rad Co. Ltd. He estimated Iran’s carpet exports to the Kingdom in the range of $20 million to $30 million annually.
Sixteen Chinese exhibitors said they hoped to expand their export of textiles and clothing, and gifts and toys. “Some of our companies are specialized in ihram for pilgrims and abaya for women and they are thrilled by the local demand for such items,” Q. Chengang of the Beijing-based China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said.
Poland participated in the fair for the first time and found it “rewarding.” Nine of its companies dealing in products ranging from consumer goods to foodstuffs and industrial items said they were preoccupied with the European market. “But looking at the booming economy and widening consumer base here, we’ve taken a new initiative to launch our products,” Piotr Czekanski, a Polish exhibitor said.
Aside from many Saudi companies, there were individual exhibitors from the UAE and Hong Kong.
