Manufacturers desperate to become part of the Middle East's toy story

Dubai: Inflatable camel costumes, Asia's answer to the Barbie doll and pushchairs designed to cope with the rigours of global travel are some of the increasingly innovative toys and baby products thought up by manufacturers to tap into the region's baby boom.

An upcoming census is widely expected to see the UAE's population hit 5 million, up more than 15 per cent per cent on the 4.3 million 2004 figure.

And manufacturers at Dubai's Toy Fair, which ended recently, confirmed the trends, reporting significant new interest and even strong demand for some items not yet in production.

Show manager Maren Kiesel, with organisers Messe Frankfurt, said the trade exhibition received more visitors in the first two days this year than in the whole of last year's three day event.

"We have never experienced the demand in the market that we are getting now," she said.

Sencha de Groot-Chung, of Dubai-based Dutchkid, reported high interest in the companiy's puchchairs brands which can reach Dh3,000 and are widely-used by western celebrity mums

Local demand for toys has created a gap in the market for an Asian and Middle Eastern Barbie doll, according to Ali Zaidi of Simba Toys.

He is expecting big things of the company's Jamila doll, a dark-haired doll with thick eyebrows, brown eyes and a range of clothing from the Indian sub-continent to the Middle East. The doll, accompanied by male friend Jameel, is still in the prototype stage but had visitors reaching for their wallets, claimed Zaidi.

Factfile: Having fun is big business

With 50 per cent of the GCC population aged under 16, the Middle East's toy market is big business and has been estimated at more than Dh5.5 billion.

Annual spending per capita on toys and computer games in the region is Dh1,200, the world's second highest figure after North America.