The inaugural International Textile Fair (ITF), which closed at the Dubai World Trade Centre on November 4, triggered a robust response from local and international exhibitors, 90 per cent of whom have shown interest in taking part in the second edition that will be held on April 26 and 27, 2015, on a much bigger scale, organizers of the show said.
´The Dubai ITF was a phenomenal debut show that has put Dubai on the world map of major textile fairs,´ said Dilip Nihalani, head of Nihalani Events, a division of Nihalani Brothers, one of the oldest textile dealers of Dubai. ´The exhibitors were very excited as the event gave them a platform to venture into a high-potential market. They got a chance to reach out to the wider Gulf textile market.´
The ITF saw a brisk turnout of serious trade visitors on both days, and exhibitors closed a number of deals and set up leads that could translate into long-term partnerships and alliances, Nihalani said. Among the major exhibitors that recorded strong response were Maritex (specialising in prints, lace and net fabrics), Shree Laxmi Lifestyle known for fancy embroidered fashion fabrics, Josef Otten renowned for top fashion designs and high-quality women´s wear fabrics and Global Trading specialising in textile machinery and embroidery machines.
Nihalani announced that the second edition of ITF will be held on April 26 and 27, 2015, and will see exhibitors showcasing their Autumn/Winter collections.
The two-day fair has attracted a wide range of textile mills, and a large print designers. Exhibitors are mainly from Europe, India, China, Indonesia, Mongolia, Japan, Korea, Turkey, Italy, France, Spain, Pakistan, Mongolia, Taiwan and Hong Kong as well as other high-end manufacturers from around the world. The ITF was introduced in Dubai at a time when the UAE´s annual textile exports crossed $1.6 billion, representing 7.7 per cent of the global export market. The UAE is the world´s third largest exporter of textiles, after the US and the UK.
The ITF 2014 was supported by Dubai Customs, Emirates airline and the Textile Merchants Group (TEXMAS), which represents 800 wholesale textile traders of Dubai.