Mazin Muhammad Batarji, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, inaugurated Tuesday the first “Textile Arabia” exhibition, Saudi Arabia’s premier international exhibition for apparel, machinery, clothing, printing, fabrics and accessories at Jeddah Center for events and forums.
Around 120 Saudi and international manufacturers, international exhibitors, experts and industry decision-makers from Saud Arabia, Pakistan, Taiwan, UAE and Italy are participating in the four-day exhibition organized by Al Harithy Company for Exhibition (ACE) in cooperation with Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industrial.
The event, occupying 40,000 m2 of total area of exhibition space, provides an effective podium for joint ventures and collaborations among the local textile industry and international entrepreneurs.
The size of ready-made clothes and textiles market in the Kingdom is estimated to be SR10 billion. The Saudi market imports over 85,000 tons of clothes and textiles, 90 percent of which is imported from Italy, France, Thailand, Taiwan, China in addition to some Arab countries.
Zahoor Siddique, Vice President of ACE, said “the creation of this important new exhibition for the country’s textile industry comes as manufacturers are preparing to make massive investments and because the Saudi textile market is experiencing unprecedented growth created by the explosion in population and the huge surge in the property market.”
Textile Arabia will focus on the immense market potential as a comprehensive event representing all areas of the transport, import / export and manufacturing cycle.
The dedicated textiles machinery and accessories show will be a one-stop shop for decision-makers within a wide range of businesses. These include textiles and fabrics, fibers and Abayas, Thoubs & Ghuthras, leather goods, home furnishings, textile dyes and treatments as well as machinery & related services.
Mohammed Al Shehri, chairman of the textile and clothing committee at JCCI, said “the aim of this exhibition is to introduce the techniques and modern production methods that are used internationally and to boost the national industry by opening doors for new job opportunities for the youth in this sector and enhance their competitiveness in the garments’ sector.”
He said the Saudi textile is currently at more than SR10 billion and its imports are increasing at 13-15 percent annually. Ihram for men and abayas for women form a large section of this expanding market due to the increasing number of Haj and Umrah pilgrims. Tents and towels are also in great demand.
Doors to Textile Arabia will be open daily from 5-10 pm until Friday (March 28).
