Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Trade Ministry recorded transactions amounting to US$13.16 million at the Arab Health medical equipment exhibition on January 29-February 1, 2024, at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC), the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Ministry's Director General of National Export Development, Didi Sumedi, stated that this figure increased by 43.83 percent as compared to transaction achievements in 2023.

"Indonesia succeeded in recording a potential transaction of US$13.16 million at the 2024 Arab Health Exhibition. This value increased 43.83 percent from the previous year, or US$9.15 million," Sumedi noted in a statement from his office on Tuesday.

He elaborated that the transactions comprised a potential transaction of US$12.08 million and the signing of a trade contract of US$1.07 million with Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Ethiopia, and Oman, along with the procurement of hospital furniture products worth US$825 thousand with the Czech Republic.

Sumedi outlined that most buyers were interested in medical equipment, such as syringes, sphygmomanometers and stethoscopes, hospital equipment, ceraspon, hemostatic sponges, and infusion pumps.

The biggest buyers came from Mauritius, Morocco, the UAE, India, and Saudi Arabia, he added.

Sumedi said Indonesia's participation in the Arab Health Exhibition is an effort to capture opportunities for global demand for medical equipment.

"The promotion of Indonesian medical equipment at the 2024 Arab Health Exhibition in Dubai is an effort to respond to trends in the world market demand for medical devices," he remarked.

Over the last five years, Indonesian medical equipment products have clocked positive growth, namely an average of 4.56 percent per year. In 2023, the Indonesian medical equipment industry had grown by 6.83 percent, Sumedi noted.

In 2022, Indonesia's export performance of medical equipment in the global market also showed positive growth, namely 9.27 percent as compared to 2021.

According to Sumedi, the global market opportunity for global medical equipment, including hospital furniture, is quite promising.

This is because global medical equipment revenue is projected to grow by 5.70 percent on average per year during the 2024-2028 period, while global healthcare furniture revenue in the next eight years from 2024 to 2032 is projected to grow by 4.8 percent per year, he remarked.

Sumedi said his side continued to encourage increased exports of Indonesian products to trade partner countries through various efforts, such as trade promotions, trade missions, business matching, export market information, and the use of trade agreements, including to the UAE, through the Indonesia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (I-UAE CEPA).

"Moreover, Indonesian business actors can use Dubai as a hub for trade in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and South Asia regions," he noted.

Related news: Indonesia explores sports cooperation opportunities in Saudi Arabia
Related news: Indonesia, Saudi Arabia explore deeper cooperation in transportation
Related news: VP, Saudi ambassador discuss enhancing bilateral relations