Toy Industry Association (TIA) will launch a pavilion showcasing TIA members at the Middle East Toy Fair in Dubai.

The event will be held from March 31 to April 2, 2008. This is the first time the North American based trade association has organised a pavilion for its members outside of the US.

'We are delighted to participate in the Middle East Toy Fair, and give our members a venue to forge relationships with distributors and retailers in this high-growth region,' said TIA president Carter Keithley.

TIA is a trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products representing over 500 companies.  Members  account for approximately 85 per cent of domestic toy sales in US, a market estimated at $22 billion.

Associate members include licensors, designers, inventors, safety consultants, testing laboratories, communications professionals and the media.

The value of the Middle East toy market is estimated at $1.5 billion per year with about 11.8 per cent annual growth. Contributing to the flourishing market for toys, shopping mall space is expected to increase by nearly 50 per cent bringing total retail square footage in the UAE to $100 billion by 2012. The average yearly toy expenditure is $327 per child, second only to North America.

'The Middle East Toy Fair is a strong and growing fair and we are thrilled to bring this market expansion opportunity to our member companies,' said TIA vice-president, meetings and events, Marian Bossard.

The TIA pavilion at Middle East Toy Fair will provide member companies with a platform to showcase their products to the Middle East buyers.

Speaking on behalf of the organizers Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH, show manager of Middle East Toy Fair, Monica Schulz Blank said: “We are uniquely well-placed to enable the TIA members to reach out to key customers and help them in achieving their business goals at the Middle East Toy Fair.”

Blank noted that the rapid economic growth in the Middle East has meant that there is a tremendous focus, by international and regional companies, on discovering and nurturing new business opportunities.

“Our event is a highly focused one and plays a significant part in the development and progress of the toy industry in the region,” she added.

As far as the Middle East is concerned, the Toy industry is in for a huge leap. Some of the big players in the industry, The Toy Store, Emsons, Simba Toys Middle East, Kidz Inc and the MBC Group, all members of the new advisory panel for the Toy Fair, are looking forward to replicating their success across the region and also beyond, in surrounding countries that look up to Dubai for latest concepts and designs.

These countries can emerge as an important Toy export or import destinations for Dubai. Dubai's strategic position enables it to tap surrounding markets like the Levant, Iran, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. – TradeArabia News Service