The changing face of the international clothing industry will be on display this week with the opening of Motexha, the Middle East's biggest garments, textiles, leather and fashion accessories trade show, on Tuesday.

Motexha, which runs until April 9 at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre, takes place against the backdrop of a tough international retail climate.

“With latent retail sales in the US, Europe and many parts of Asia, suppliers worldwide are competing fiercely for a slice of a regional market still worth in excess of $12 billion,” said Jim Meltz, the show manager.

Motexha organiser IIR Middle East has received record levels of advance visitor registrations for the event, many from well known retail brands throughout the region's malls.

"The international clothing industry is changing rapidly in the current economic climate and Motexha provides a unique opportunity for regional buyers to find out exactly who is offering the right quality at the right price in a highly competitive market,” Meltz added.

China and Turkey have both been pillars of the Motexha show but this year are outgunned in terms of total exhibition space by countries such as Italy, Thailand, Indonesia and India.

Thailand has its biggest ever pavilion at Motexha and Italy is mounting its biggest participation with two separate pavilions. Indonesia has upped its presence and Hong Kong has its biggest pavilion in four years. New countries this year include Vietnam and Greece.

Italy’s total exports to the UAE already stand at over $5 billion annually and their pavilion at Motexha is their largest yet, which underscores their desire to penetrate the regional market still further, with value for money brands.

"The Arabian Gulf’s love affair with designer brands continues undiminished and although footfall in many of the region’s shopping malls is still strong, consumers are discerning."

"Coming to terms with this market dynamic, luxury brands are now developing mid range brands providing an added dimension to their overall market proposition," stated Meltz.

Other participating countries at Motexha 2009 besides the UAE include Canada, Portugal, Ecuador, Qatar, USA, Germany, Brazil, Philippines, Australia, Poland, Russia, Vietnam, Taiwan, South Africa, Belgium, Malaysia, Croatia and South Korea.

A new addition for 2009 at Motexha is the Lingerie & Swimwear Zone which aims to introduce major brands to the Middle East market, a leading importer from Europe, he added.-TradeArabia News Service