Following the success of its 2022 edition, APLF, one of the largest leather tradeshows is hitting Dubai shores again. Recognised by the leather industry as the most important trade fair, this one-of-a-kind event will bring more than 350 exhibitors to Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Sheikh Saeed Halls, from March 13-15. Over an area of 16,000 square metres, the fair will host 14 national pavilions from countries including Brazil, China, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Pakistan, South Africa, Türkiye and Vietnam.
“It is a pleasure to host our annual leather trade fair once again in Dubai, UAE, which is a melting pot of cultures and nationalities,” says David Bondi, Senior Vice President, Informa Markets Asia. “Following the success of last year’s exhibition, it was only natural to hold the fair in the UAE. Being the hub for businesses, Dubai is easily accessible from the American, European as well as the Asian subcontinents and will be a contributing factor to the international nature of the trade show. APLF has continually dedicated years to organising leather and fashion trade shows, attracting 60,000 participants annually and providing suitable venues for top-notch businesses, manufacturers, tanners, buyers, designers and suppliers. We look forward to a successful edition again this year.”
This year, long-awaited Chinese suppliers and buyers will also be a part of the prime leather show, giving attendees the opportunity to take full advantage of the business platform traditionally offered to the leather and fashion sectors by APLF since its inception in 1984. The APLF leather fair covers the whole supply chain of the leather-making industry and offers hundreds of finished leathers for all applications possible, from footwear and leather goods to garments and upholstery, making APLF a unique sourcing event in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena).
APLF’s sister fair, Fashion Access, will be held concurrently at DWTC and is also supported by national and regional associations from Botswana, China, India, Pakistan, South Africa and Vietnam. A wide selection of footwear and leather goods will be on display highlighting the future trends and colours that will populate the fashion scene in upcoming seasons.
While APLF is a trade fair for businesses to come together and form partnerships, running simultaneously during the fair are several other activities integrating colour, fashion and material trends, which are of great interest to designers and artists alike. Notably this year sees the third edition of the Global Footwear Executive Summit (GFES) and seminars organised by Leather Naturally, Lanxess, GIZ (The German Society for International Cooperation) and Santoni. A total of four workshops will take place at this year’s edition of APLF, which include two on leather foundation and two on footwear design given by ESMOD Dubai.
To gain free entry to the event, register here
