The UAE controls 5.5 per cent of the world’s textile market, as clothing emerges as the world’s fourth largest trading segment in fashion and apparel, said an industry expert.

Midhat M Abu Ghazaleh, CEO, Abughazaleh Trading Company, (Abco), was highlighting figures released by the China National Textile & Apparel Council (CNTAC).

Abu Ghazaleh said: "The UAE is a leading centre for textile industry automation where nearly 150 apparel manufacturing companies operating in the country.”

The report says that Gulf countries are gradually emerging as leading textile manufacturing and trading centres globally, and by 2016 the UAE is set to become the world’s leading high-end textile and garment re-export centre.

Abu Ghazaleh added: “The UAE has a role to play as a re-export center to diverse markets in Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia. Local textile companies compete with international brands through the quality of their products and price advantage, as well as lower import duties and customs tariffs as these two costs are not borne by local players.”

One major features of UAE’s textile industry is the high level of automation using advanced textile machinery of European countries.

Abu Ghazaleh said: “Encompassing several categories such as woven, knitted and non-woven fabrics, the apparel and textile products are now everywhere, including fibers, fabrics, cloth, apparels, outerwear and others.”

“The textile manufacturing market in UAE is facing intense competition from the textile manufacturing countries in South East Asia, such as China, India and Thailand as per recent reports,” Abu Ghazaleh concluded.

Abco is one of the leading general trading companies in the UAE since 1975. It is a wholesale distributor and manufacturer of all types of apparel, footwear, luggage, hand bags and house hold products. – TradeArabia News Service