Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is looking to increase gold and jewellery trade with Dubai and is keen to increase the UAE participation at its trade fair.

Abdul Aziz Nasser, Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s (HKTDC) Deputy Director for Middle East, said the council is keen to have UAE and Dubai pavilion in future hopefully through the help and support of organisations like Dubai Gold & Jewellery group (DGJG).

“This year, we have had a UAE pavilion in the Innovation Show in which 10 inventors participated under the umbrella of Ministry of Economy. We have some individual participations in the jewellery show but now we are talking with Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group to see if we can organise a pavilion at the next exhibition,” he said.

Hong Kong will host International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show on March 1-5 and International Jewellery Show on March 3-7 in 2016. HKTDC’s trade fairs last year attracted 10,000 visitors from the region out of which half of them were from the UAE.

“Most of the UAE visitors come for toys and games expo, stationary show and electronics fairs because these fairs cater consumer products and Dubai is a trading hub of these products.”

Nasser expects 10-15 per cent increase in trade visitors during 2016.

The UAE is Hong Kong's 15th largest trading partner. In the first nine months of 2015, total trade value between the two places reached $7.4 billion, with Hong Kong’s export to UAE reaching $4.4 billion, and import value from UAE $3 billion.

HKTDC announced that six international fairs covering toys, baby products, stationery, fashion, diamond, gem & pearls and jewellery industries will be held in Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2016.

In 2015, HKTDC’s 30 fairs attracted about 35,000 exhibitors and over 726,000 visitors from all over the world.