EMIB Brings Turkish Natural Stone Sector to the Middle East with Sectoral Trade Delegation in Dubai from November 25-29
Foreks - The Aegean Mineral Exporters Association (EMİB) brought the Turkish natural stone sector to the heart of the Middle East with the "Sectoral Trade Delegation" organized in Dubai from November 25 to 29, 2024.
Stating that the Dubai market is still vibrant, EMİB President İbrahim Alimoğlu said, "Some companies carry out the production processes of projects they receive from Saudi Arabia in Dubai. Dubai is preferred due to its logistics, labor, cost advantages, or production infrastructure. While construction projects in Dubai continue at full throttle, real estate prices remain stable. Real estate demand is still strong, and the market continues to grow healthily. There are great opportunities for Turkish marble producers in the Dubai market."
President Alimoğlu also mentioned, "During our Dubai Sectoral Trade Delegation's B2B meetings, nearly 30 buyer firms met with our delegation participants. Each member of our delegation had the opportunity to meet with an average of 10 firms to establish new connections. Additionally, during the visit days, our delegation companies visited 9 firms on-site in Dubai and Sharjah while also meeting with leading companies at their booths during the exhibition visits. Among the buyer firms were strong construction companies from the region along with renowned warehouse and factory owners. This intense interest once again showed that Turkish natural stones have a strong position in the Dubai market. The fixed population of Dubai is currently around 3 million, and it is projected to reach 8 million by 2040. In brief, construction continues to expand towards Abu Dhabi and the direction of the new airport. One of the mega projects in the United Arab Emirates, the second Palm Island, is also on the way."
Stating that the United Arab Emirates exports $350 million worth of natural stones annually, President Alimoğlu emphasized that Turkey is the leading country with an export value of $62 million, saying, "We aim to increase our natural stone exports to the UAE to $71 million by 2025 with a 15% increase. Our Sectoral Trade Delegation was organized simultaneously with the globally renowned Big 5 Global Fair. After bilateral meetings, our delegation also visited the Dubai Big 5 fair. This allowed our exporters to closely follow the latest trends and technologies. They developed their business strategies with up-to-date information on construction projects and natural stone imports in the region. The new business connections we established during our Sectoral Trade Delegation will add to our export records in the years to come."