Hong Kong in Style 2005, an annual trade fair showcasing the best of Hong Kong’s products, served as a backdrop for a business delegation from the former British colony to meet government officials and influential business leaders.

The mission, led by David Eldon, chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, was organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the official agency tasked with promoting trade with and through Hong Kong.
Hong Kong and Dubai share many similarities. Both are duty-free ports with bustling commerce and diverse business concerns sustained by modern infrastructural amenities. Both cities are free-trade gateways for their surrounding regions, and both have witnessed massive economic growth in recent years. Dubai provides access to a UAE market that accounted for $2.9 billion worth of exports from Hong Kong in 2004, a sharp rise of 15 per cent over 2003. The upward inclination has continued into 2005, with a further 2 per cent increase in the first seven months of the year.
The delegation’s visit comple-mented a 200-strong participation of Hong Kong companies at the exhibition held from November 7 to10 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (DIEC). It was part of a larger Middle East tour that included a subsequent visit to Iran.
The UAE constitutes Hong Kong’s largest export market in the Middle East, and is rapidly growing. Major exports to the UAE include garments and fashion accessories, telecom equipment, watches and clocks, office machinery and computer parts, audio-visual equipment and precious and semi-precious stones.
“Very few cities in the world can offer us the kind of opportunities that Dubai presents, particularly from a business perspective, and this year’s exhibition is the largest and most diverse yet,” said Jeff Ambjorn, Middle East director for the HKTDC, organiser of the exhibition which was opened by Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, director of the Dubai Information Department, and Eldon.