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

This is the first time the North American based trade association is organising a pavilion for its members outside of the US.

Middle East Toy Fair will be held from March 31 to April 2 in Dubai.

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

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.

Dubai has evolved into an international trendsetter and the Middle East Toy Fair is the region’s biggest trade exhibition for toys, baby and infant products, stationery and back-to-school products, games, hobbies, gifts, apparel and licensing.

Product areas within the Toy Fair are Baby and Infant, as well as Stationary and Back-To-School. The specific areas will give visitors and exhibitors a place to source products and build new business relationships.
It is a unique platform for exhibitors to network with one another and meet major buyers, key industry players, and educators involved in the shaping of the Middle East toy market. – TradeArabia News Service