Now in its 7th year, the International Apparel And Textile Fair (IATF) will host its latest edition at Dubai World Trade Centre from 01 to 03 November. Each year, the fair attracts leading textile manufacturers and designers from around the world including China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia and Italy. With the world’s textile and apparel trade reaching approximately USD 13.2b (AED 48.5b), and recording an annual cumulative growth of 9.9%, an event like the IATF is both vital and relevant.
The UAE currently ranks as the 3rd largest country in terms of textile exports and is among the largest sector in the Middle East. One of the world’s leading hubs for textile industry automation the UAE has approximately 200 apparel manufacturing companies in place. Accounting for approximately 5.5 percent of the world’s annual textile and clothing sales, the UAE has today become the world’s fourth largest trading centre of fashion and apparel. By 2020, projections indicate that the UAE will become the world’s leading high-end textile and garment re-export centre.
Visitors at the event will be able to network and engage with leading buying houses from around the world and interact with numerous skilled and high profile experts from the regional fashion industry. As the IATF is a knowledge-sharing forum, speakers from all around the world will highlight upcoming trends through workshops as well as hosting panel discussions and seminars, all of which make this a crucial event for anyone in the industry.