New markets in focus for APLF Dubai
APLF will next take place in Dubai from March 13-15, 2023.
This will be the third consecutive edition of APLF organised away from its base in Hong Kong owing to travel restrictions there. Nevertheless, the organisers have said APLF will return to Hong Kong in 2024 .
Chinese companies have started taking part in trade shows overseas and the organisers of APLF anticipate that there will be buyers from China as well as Chinese exhibitors at the 2023 event in Dubai.
APLF will also seek to open the door to the Middle East leather market, which is expected to register significant growth in the next few years, with rapid developments in the infrastructure and construction sector.
Saudi Arabia and Iran are important leather producers, with numerous tanneries. Egypt is home to more than 200 tanneries in its well established leather industry, with a healthy domestic leather consumption.
Many of the Middle East and North African region’s economies are set to show a strong rebound from the covid-19 pandemic in 2022. The overall regional economy is expected to grow by 5.5% in 2022, the fastest rate since 2016. Saudi Arabia’s GDP growth will accelerate from 3.2% in 2021 to 7.6 % in 2022. The UAE’s GDP growth will grow from 3.7% in 2021 to 6.2% in 2022, the fastest pace since 2011.
Besides attracting visitors from the region, buyers are expected from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey and from Europe.
Exhibitors will come from the world’s major leather producing countries and the whole supply chain of the leather industry will be represented at the fair.
