Dubai: Dubai's imports of toys reached Dh518 million in 2006, according to an industry official, strengthening the emirate's position as a major trading hub.
Monica Schulz Blank, organiser of the Middle East Toy Fair, said, "During the past decade, Dubai expanded its trading activity well beyond its traditional base in Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran."
Dubai plays a prominent role as a trade hub for the region, she noted.
"As a market for other countries' exports, Dubai's potential is much greater than its size would indicate. A booming re-export trade adds substantially to the demand and a large proportion of toys imported by Dubai are for redistribution to neighbouring markets," Schulz Blank said.
The Middle East Toy Fair, the region's leading trade fair for toys, will take place in Dubai from March 31 to April 2.
Dubai's role as a trading hub combined with the double digit growth rate of the toy industry pegged at 11.8 per cent per annum augurs well for the Middle East Toy Fair.
Boom time
The Middle East toy market is booming and is currently worth over Dh5.50 billion.
The average annual expenditure per child on toys and video games in the region is Dh1,200, almost double that of Europe and second only to North America.
Baby and Infant Middle East as well as Stationery and Back to School Middle East will be dedicated product areas within the Middle East Toy Fair, giving exhibitors and visitors, specific areas to source products and forge new business relationships.
The Trade Fair is guided by the 2008 Middle East Toy Fair Advisory Panel formulated by the prominent industry players The Toy Store, Emsons, Simba Toys Middle East, Kidz Inc, Al Shula Trading and MBC Group.
