Northern Ireland's exports to the Middle East, currently standing at £140 million annually, are expected to show continued, steady growth linked to rapid hotel development across the region. The forecast was made by the organization which brought in 20 Northern Irish designers and manufacturers of hotel interior furnishings for The Hotel Show in Dubai earlier this week.
“Overall, Northern Ireland's exports are worth about £600 million annually, and the Middle East is our third largest market behind the US and Europe,” said Bill McGinnis, business development director of Invest Northern Ireland. “Exports to this region have grown from £30 million in 1994 to £140 million today. We expect the growth to continue, and we're here for the long term.”
Following the exhibition, Madini (Made and Designed in Northern Ireland) Hotelworks, which occupied ten percent of the exhibition space at Airport Expo Dubai during the three-day event, had decided to immediately base a marketing representative in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to follow-up on business leads. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
