UAE firms participate in KazBuild exhibition in Kazakhstan

Dubai: Dubai Exports, the export promotion agency of the Department of Economic Development — Government of Dubai, is facilitating the participation of 30 UAE companies at the country’s pavilion in KazBuild, the premier construction trade fair, being held in Kazakhstan.

The participation of the UAE companies, led by Dubai Exports, is aimed at enabling the businesses to strengthen their export capabilities by leveraging the on-going economic diversification and strategies for development in both the UAE and Kazakhstan.

Dubai Exports is also leading a multi-sector trade mission of 16 UAE companies in Kazakhstan as part of promoting dialogue and partnerships between businesses and officials at the trade fair, which attracts several international firms.

Engineer Saeed Al Awadi, CEO of Dubai Exports, said: “Kazakhstan has recorded a boom in trade and exports since 2009, and has achieved an impressive average growth rate of 7 per cent between 2007 and 2011. Through the trade mission, we expect to conduct more than 110 bilateral meetings between the UAE companies and their counterparts in Kazakhstan in the cities of Almaty and Astana.”

He added: “The agenda will include discussions regarding legal and business issues for strengthening business with private companies in Kazakhstan and various aspects related to logistics, distribution and storage between the two countries.”

Opportunities

Al Awadi said that the total trade volume between the UAE and Kazakhstan in 2011 reached Dh1.3 billion and there are significant business and export opportunities in the local market in Kazakhstan, which would be well-served in a number of sectors, most notably plastics, petrochemicals, building materials and construction, metals, furniture, and electrical equipment.

“Dubai Exports expects that the presence of the UAE companies in the Kazakhstan trade missions and exhibitions will contribute to strengthening exports by at least 15 per cent per year considering that the UAE is one of the key investors in Kazakhstan in several growth areas,” explained Al Awadi.

Mohammad Al Kamali, Director of Export Market Development at Dubai Exports, added: “The construction sector forms a large share of the exports by UAE companies, and visitors to the UAE pavilion in KazBuild will benefit from the expertise of UAE companies in the field. The participating companies in KazBuild can also understand more about the competencies of the UAE companies and their products in the construction sector, and exchange knowledge and business opportunities.”

Al Kamali explained that Dubai Exports is constantly looking for trade and export opportunities in foreign markets based on studies and researches carried out periodically to evaluate the needs of the global market and growth centres in exports to niche markets and important sectors.

Based on recent studies, Dubai Exports will focus on economically diverse markets in Europe, Africa, the Gulf region and Asia and open trade channels to facilitate the stronger participation of local companies to boost exports during 2012.