REVIEW
25-26 June 2018
Hyatt Regency Dubai,
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
www.hktdc.com/fair/hkledubai-en
Officiating guests for the sixth edition of
the HKTDC Lifestyle Expo were, from left:
Jin Lei, Commercial Attaché, Economic &
Commercial Section, Consulate General
of the People’s Republic of China in
Dubai; Regina Lai, director, Product
Promotion, HKTDC; Juma Al Kait, Assistant
Undersecretary of Foreign Trade and
Industry, Ministry of Economy, United
Arab Emirates (UAE); Huang Yongguang,
Deputy Division Director, The Department
of Commerce of Guangdong Province; and
Perry Fung, regional director (Middle East &
Africa), HKTDC.
Inter-regional alliance
explored at Lifestyle
Expo in Dubai
JOINTLY organised by the Hong Kong
Trade Development Council (HKTDC)
and the Department of Commerce of
Guangdong Province of the People’s
Republic of China, the sixth edition of
the Lifestyle Expo in Dubai served as a
platform for suppliers from Hong Kong
and the Chinese mainland to connect
with buyers from the Middle East and
Africa, supporting the companies seized
business opportunities presented by the
Belt and Road Initiative and Expo 2020
Dubai, the organiser said.
The two-day event showcased
a wide selection of trendy products
from more than 120 Hong Kong
and Chinese companies to almost
1,400 buyers from the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), Iran and Africa.
Exhibits included consumer electronics,
information and communications
technology (ICT) products, household
products and electrical appliances,
fashion and fashion accessories, gifts
and premiums, as well as watches and
clocks.
Exploring regional
cooperation
HKTDC‘s Regina Lai introducing Juma Al Kait
of UAE‘s Ministry of Economy to a creative
lifestyle exhibitor from Hong Kong.
The two-day event showcased a wide
selection of trendy products from more than
120 Hong Kong and Chinese companies.
38
Retail Asia August 2018
Speaking at the opening ceremony,
HKTDC product promotion director
Regina Lai highlighted the co-operation
between mainland China, Hong Kong
and the UAE to unlock opportunities
arising from the Belt and Road
Initiative, a key global economic driver
for the 21st century.
“The Chinese mainland, Hong
Kong and the UAE have forged a
very close business partnership. The
Lifestyle Expo in Dubai is the signature
promotion event in emerging markets
that facilitates exchanges on market
trends and creates synergy for mutual
benefits,” Lai said. “The HKTDC
has long recognised the geographical
advantage of the UAE as a springboard
to the promising Middle East and
African markets. We will continue to
organise different promotional events
in the region to help enterprises capture
the growing business opportunities.”
The UAE is Hong Kong’s largest
trading partner and export market
in the Middle East, HKTDC said.
Bilateral trade between the two places
has been growing at an average annual
rate of 14% since 2010. Last year, Hong
Kong’s total trade to the UAE grew 3%
to US$10.8 billion, led by exports of
telecommunications equipment and
parts, precious and semi-precious stones
and jewellery.
Business matching and
networking
The Lifestyle Expo in Dubai featured
a number of seminars and networking
events, including the fourth Hub-to-Hub
Business Meeting that brought together
business leaders from Hong Kong, the
UAE and Africa to share their insights
on the latest market developments.
Customised “One-to-One” business
matching services were provided on
site to connect exhibitors and buyers to
foster collaboration.
Products from the 120 exhibitors
were spotlighted at the “hktdc.com Small
Orders Showcase”, allowing buyers to
place orders of between five and 1,000
pieces. The HKTDC Frequent Buyer
Awards 2018 was presented to Middle
East and African companies for their
ongoing support to the council’s trade
fairs in Hong Kong and Dubai.
In addition, Elvin Law, product
promotion manager of the HKTDC,
led a business mission to Nairobi, Kenya
to explore collaboration opportunities
with African companies. Members of
the delegation represented a variety of
sectors including electronics, fashion,
housewares, gifts, packaging and wellness
products.
The Lifestyle Expo in Dubai is one
of the HKTDC’s signature international
promotion events aiming to foster
trade between companies from Hong
Kong and emerging markets worldwide
including Russia, Poland, Turkey, India
and Indonesia. ra