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28 March 2024

Earthquake did not keep away visitors to Expo Pakistan 2013

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

The trembles of an earthquake 300 kilometers away, the bomb blast near a church in Peshawar, or the overall perception of danger in Pakistan did not keep visitors from arriving in Karachi to attend Expo Pakistan 2013.

Around 1000 business people from all over the world flocked to the capital of trade this year in the hope to shake hands over business deals, trade agreements or new relations.

This indicates trust in the Pakistani economy, said a satisfied TDAP Rabia Javeri Agha, Secretary of the organising Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP) during the opening ceremony of the event, where President Mamnun Hussain also attended.

From the UAE several business people had boarded the 1,5 hour flight last week. Ahmed Habib, Commercial Secretary from the Pakistani Embassy in Abu Dhabi present himself, said to be hopeful that business opportunities in Pakistan would come across to the UAE population.

Fashion show at Expo

"Pakistan has great opportunities. I would like people in the UAE to see these opportunities, so we have invited residents from several sectors to join us on this trip," he said.

Despite the negative perceptions people tend to have of Pakistan, it is the country to do business with at the moment, he affirmed.

Compatible prices, quality products, and a rising economy in many sectors are just some of the aspects pointed out as incentives for business people to invest in Pakistan.

This year’s Expo was the 8th such event held in the largest city of the country. Although the grand total has not been made official, it was expected that $700 million worth of orders would be made this year.

Expo entrance hall

UAE-based Alam Group of Companies represented a large portion of this sum. “We have signed three deals worth $24 million. A fourth deal is being discussed at the moment,” said Wisal Ahmad on the last day of the trade fair.

The retailers secured the export of three of the main Pakistani trade sectors, being clothing, rice and vegetables.
“This is the time of harvest for agricultural products, so this is a very good time to do trade in vegetables.

“The short air travel time between Pakistan and the UAE guarantees that vegetables are fresh on arrival, and the prices are compatible,” he said when asked why his company headed to Expo for business.

“Rice from Pakistan has always been very good. The rice we import is coming from the Hymalya and is rich in aroma. People like it very much.”

Art piece at Expo

Rice played an important role during the four-day event. Pakistan being the fourth-largest rice exporter in the world, everybody seemed to be speaking rice in Karachi last week.

“Rice is a major crop in Egypt. As a direct or indirect ingredient it accounts for 45% of what is used in the Egyptian kitchen," said Ahmed Ghareib, CEO of Arabian Solidarity Company who had also come for the rice.

"We conduct counter trade. Instead of paying for the rice directly, we trade it against karkade, a product of which we have enough.Pakistan is one of the main export countries we deal with."

Just as much it was hard not to speak or hear about rice, fashion was another well-represented element in the trade fair. A two-day fashion show assured that visitors would not go home without taking notice of what Pakistan has to offer in terms of fashion.

"The market is huge! We have many shows lined up all over the world," said the well-known fashion designer Hassan Shehriyar Yaseen, who directed  the fashion show.

Waziristan stand: making a football

Twenty years ago things were different, explained Muhammad Umar, Assistant Professor at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design. We were not accepted on the international market. But nowadays Pakistani fashion designers are very successful. Some very famous designers graduated from this school."

The UAE is a huge market for Pakistani designers, indicates Hassan. With its distinguished embroidery, Pakistani wear makes the small difference people are looking for, he argues.

"People like the Pakistani style of embroidery, because it something different than just the placement of diamonds.
We design abayas in this way, for example. Fashion is about individuality these days. People are looking for a unique piece, rather than what everybody else wears."

Basmati rice stand

The catwalk said it all that night. Internationally orientated, each designer had chosen to make reference to Pakistani traditions is one way or another. Truck art – the design that is found on Karachi buses, trucks and some tuk tuks as well –was the theme of the first show, and the design theme coming back throughout Expo 2013.

Less established but nonetheless noteworthy was the Waziristan stand. This province has been plagued with violence and poverty, and residents have had little at hand to strive forwards.

That is about to change if you ask the army officer marketing the stand. "We want to give people in Waziristan something to live for, so we have started several projects involving poultry, livestock, honey and football making.

"But we need buyers. We have a reservoir of hand-made footballs, and we would like to encourage people to buy from Waziristan."

"With the FIFA World Cup held in the UAE this year I think it is worth investing in footballs," said Ahmed Habib.
"A football craze is about to come to the UAE. Footballs are cheap and of very good quality made in Pakistan."

Another opportunity lies in medical equipment, he believes. Sheila Adriano, representing the Abu Dhabi-based medical equipment company Bio Medical Scientific Services, headed to the fair because of the high standing reputation of the medical equipment manufactured in Pakistan.

"I also looked at bed sheets, which we can distribute to medical facilities in the UAE. I did not close any deals, I came to see the product and meet the client," she said.

 Pakistan's textile industry is pioneering, said the President at the inauguration of the event. Pakistani bed sheets, quilt covers, t-shirts and jeans are sold at the world's leading chain stores, he pointed out.

Sadly, the quality of products manufactured in Pakistan is not always acknowledged, as the 'made in Pakistan' logo may disappear along the way and make place for the logo of trading countries before the product reaches the customer, Ahmad Habib explained.

"Therefore not everybody knows that these quality products are made in Pakistan."

There are plenty of good quality products and plenty of manpower in Pakistan, he continues. However, in some cases the country needs business people to turn around a business, he explains, giving as an example the role played by
Nestle, making the milk industry a profitable one locally and internationally.