China-made products are showcased from today at a fair in Dubai, with the aim of boosting trade between China and the Mena region.

The seventh annual China Sourcing Fair, hosted by Global Sources, a business-to-business media company is being held at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre and will run till May 30. It was officially opened by Raja Al Gurg, president, Dubai Business Women's Council, in the presence of other dignitaries.

The fair exhibits products under different categories, which includes electronics, gifts and premiums, home products, and hardware and building materials.

"China's relationship with the Middle East is becoming increasingly important," said Tommy Wong, president of Global Sources Exhibitions. "This is true in terms of diplomatic relations and of course, business."

Bilateral trade between China and the Middle East is forecast to reach US$300 billion by 2014, according to UAE's Minister for Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi. Trade between China and the UAE grew 10 percent in 2011, a fivefold increase in less than a decade.

"We believe the China Sourcing Fairs play a key role in delivering quality consumer products to the regions' distribution channels," added Wong.

The China Sourcing Fairs are exclusively for importers, traders, and other volume buyers who purchase consumer products for resale to markets throughout the MENA region. Last year, 12,680 qualified buyers from 111 countries attended the event. - TradeArabia News Service