Carpet Oasis sales tipped to reach Dh100m

Dubai: The Carpet Oasis, organised by the Dubai Ports and Customs Authority and among the major attractions at this year's Dubai Shopping Festival, earned sales of Dh7.88 million and sold 1,500 carpets in its first ten days.

About 2,000 visitors turned up during this period for the exhibition that will remain open until February 2. The event is being held at the Dubai Airport Exhibition Centre.

Abdurahman Eesa, head of the organising committee for the Carpet Oasis said that he expects total sales during DSF to reach Dh50 million and an equivalent amount of sales agreed upon between merchants, bringing the overall figure to Dh100 million. The sales this year are expected to exceed last year's actual sales by Dh10 million, he said.

"The Carpet Oasis was launched in 1996 during DSF and in the previous years the exhibition has featured premium carpet manufacturers and antique exhibitors from around the world. The exhibition has been growing in fame and is today one of the best-known handmade carpet exhibitions in the world. The quality of the products and the number of participants are testimony to the growing popularity of the event," said Abdurahman Eesa.

"The Carpet Oasis features 150 local, regional, and international handmade carpet manufacturers with about 150,000 exquisite carpets made of wool, silk and other premium materials showcased for visitors," he added.

The importance of the exhibition is the fact that it has contributed substantially to the economy of Dubai and in the course of time made Dubai an important destination for carpet buyers and traders. An interesting feature of the exhibition is that the carpets sold are priced lower than in the countries where they are manufactured.

"The Carpet Oasis is one of the major events to be held during the shopping festival and it has shown a huge growth in an economic and trading way. The area of the exhibition and the number of products exhibited has also increased over the years.

The exhibition covers a massive 12,000 square metres and contains 150,000 carpets from around the world including Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Eastern Europe. The total value of the exhibits reaches Dh1 billion," added Eesa.

Like all major exhibitions, the Carpet Oasis is a centre for making trade deals and in the previous years sales have reached Dh90 million in addition to the deals made between merchants and clients at the end of DSF. The exhibition attracts thousands of visitors every year who are keen on buying beautifully woven carpets from different regions of the world.

The carpets exhibited in the expo are of superior quality and include luxurious handmade carpets from Isfahan, Qom, Naeen, Hamadan, and Tabriz in addition to the Hariqi, Indian, Afghan and Pakistani ones. The handmade rugs feature designs that reflect the culture and tradition of each region.

"Customs regulations are eased for the participants when they bring in and take out products from Dubai. In addition to intensive media coverage, the participants are provided free visas to enter the country and an official inauguration is done in the presence of important officials and the media," Essa said.