More than €4.5 million ($5.6 million) worth of retail deals were signed at Al Fares 2014, an international equine trade fair, which recently concluded in Dubai, UAE.

More than 5,000 trade visitors from the equine industry visited the fair, while about 85 per cent of the exhibitors have confirmed participation in the next edition to be held in October 2016, said a statement.

Rasheed Mbayed, exhibition manager of the fair, which is organised by Al Fajer Information and Services every two years, said: “The GCC equine industry once again came under the global spotlight through Al Fares. Al Fares 2014 saw participation of international companies who reiterated their interest to be part of 2016 edition.”

Dr Walid Sherbiny, veterinary manager, Gulf Rider, said: “This is our 10th participation in Al Fares. Since 1995, Al Fares has grown dramatically to be a leading hub for equine products, and we have been responding to that growth by booking larger stands every time.

“We brought to Al Fares this year products from 22 brands from different parts of the world, mainly Australia, Germany, France, UK, and USA, in collaboration with our partners Al Awani Company. Our products vary between veterinary medicine and veterinary equipment, fortifications, vitamins, processing equipment, and stable equipment.”

Mustafa Ali Ahmed Anshan and Saif Khalifa Matar Al Mezaina, co-owners of Royal Equestrian Club Dubai, who were first-time participants, said: “Specialised exhibitions like Al Fares are so important because they bring visitors from all over the world to view the advancement of the equine sector in the UAE. Based on our first participation, we have received an overwhelming response to the services we provide. Our core focus is training riders transferring them from beginners to world-class certified riders.

“We are in final stages of launching dedicated academic equine courses in collaboration with a British academy that will operate from Royal Equestrian Club Dubai, bringing international experts and trainers from UK, USA, and Germany. We have also started a new service to video conference the courses, bringing our expertise to anywhere in the region. Al Fares is a great place to be in.”

Another first time participant Michael Nosch, head of Sales, Eqvivance, a company that designs 3D statues of horses through innovative 3D scanning technology, said: “We came to the UAE because we have a passion for Arabian horses and Dubai is a big market to be in. We have displayed in Al Fares a creative brand-new project that combines scanning, picturing, 3D modeling, and molding technologies to create a true to life design of a specific horse for any owner in the region. We can create these statues in any specific position for the horse, adding the tiny details of the horse characteristics.”

More than 215 companies from 21 countries took part in the fair, which remains the only exhibition recognised worldwide as a leading trade platform to do business and capitalise on the booming regional market for equestrian products.

Among the major participants were global players in the equestrian trade market from Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland the US and the UK. - TradeArabia News Service