More than 100 Hong Kong firms to be featured at Lifestyle Expo held Nov. 9-10, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency

The event will feature companies from Hong Kong and the mainland provinces of Tianjin, Fujian and Guangdong

5 November 2015

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, or HKTDC on Wednesday announced that it will host the third edition of the popular Hong Kong Lifestyle Expo in Dubai.

With bilateral trade between the UAE and Hong Kong at an all-time high at $10 billion, the third edition of the expo will feature more than 100 companies from Hong Kong, and will be held from November 9-10, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency in Deira.

The event will feature companies from Hong Kong and the mainland provinces of Tianjin, Fujian and Guangdong. The companies will display products under the categories of fashion and accessories, watches and clocks, electronics, household items and gift items.

"The overwhelming response to the previous two editions has encouraged us to return for a third edition," Perry Fung, regional director for the Middle East and Africa at HKTDC, told Khaleej Times. "The Lifestyle Expo will feature the best in quality products from China for buyers in the Middle East. We believe that this will help promote bilateral trade between the two countries and highlight the opportunities for collaboration between Hong Kong and UAE, which serve as important trade and financial hubs for our respective regions." Fung noted that the UAE is a key trading partner of Hong Kong in the Middle East. The Expo is an ideal opportunity for companies to demonstrate the quality, style and value of their products to potential buyers in the Middle East and Africa, he said.

Last year the value of bilateral trade between the two countries was recorded at $10 billion, up 7.3 per cent compared to the previous year. The UAE is Hong Kong's largest export market in the Middle East. In 2014, Hong Kong's exports to the UAE were valued at $6.2 billion, an increase of 25 per cent year-on-year.

To exemplify and enhance the 'Hub-to-Hub' synergy, the HKTDC, in collaboration with Dubai Exports and other business councils in Dubai will also stage a two-day forum concurrently with the Lifestyle Expo. Various speakers from different organisations and companies will share their latest business updates on how to better utilise the emerging business opportunities in the UAE and Hong Kong via such hubs to penetrate the Asia and Middle East and Africa Markets. On day two of the event, a special business networking session will be co-organised with the Iranian Business Council in Dubai to explore potential co-operation opportunities among the attendees following the recent developments in the Iranian market. In addition, a Small Orders showcase is also being organised where specialised small order consultants will be available to educate interested parties that are interested in placing orders.

"Some of the buyers here, and in the wider GCC and Africe region, prefer to buy in small quantities and this is an excellent opportunity for them to learn how to source directly from Hong Kong," said Fung. "We see lots of potential synergy that can be further enhanced by pooling together all the resources, especially in the SME sectors in both countries."