The UAE footwear market is expected to hit $300 million by 2010, according to recent industry estimates, as the domestic retail sector witnesses' continuous growth as a result of the booming population and cash flow across the emirates. Research has revealed that the entire footwear market in the GCC is worth more than AED1 billion a year, with leather footwear accounting for about 30 per cent of the market share and the rest belonging to textile, plastic and rubber footwear. There is also a thriving re-export trade in footwear and official re-exports alone account for almost one third of the imports, in addition to retail ‘carry' re-exports by tourists, which has given birth to large exclusive footwear showrooms. Addressing the sizeable demand for footwear products unique to the region, such as Gulf Arab sandals for men and women, as well as international brands with new and trendy designs is the focus of this year's expo. In line with this, Orange Fairs & Events, organizers of “Foot Wear Expo 2008,” is set to host leading players from the $1 billion GCC footwear market during the three-day event on Nov. 3-5 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dubai. The inaugural edition of the event has been launched with aims to provide global companies an ideal platform where they can collaborate, expand their networks and leverage the rapid growth of the market. Over 100 manufacturers from countries such as US, Australia, Brazil, Turkey, Italy, Indonesia, South Africa, Thailand, India, Greece, Pakistan, Spain, Bangladesh, Egypt, China, Vietnam and UAE have confirmed their participation at the expo.
