"Though in 2010, the trade value between Indonesia and the UAE reached US$2 billion representing an increase of 26.4 percent from the previous year, the figure is still lower than the UAE`s trade with Thailand or Malaysia," Indonesian Ambassador to UAE M Wahid Supriyadi said here on Friday.
He said there were only 15 Indonesian-flagged companies operating in the UAE while fellow ASEAN members such as Malaysia had about 150 national companies doing business there.
Considering these fact, the ambassador said there were still a plenty of opportunities for Indonesian entrepreneurs to market their products in the UAE. Citing an example, he said Dubai (one of the members of UAE) was importing goods worth an average of US$130 billion per year but most of the goods were reexported to countries in south Asia, Africa and the middle east.
"Dubai can be an entry port for Indonesia`s products. I am optimistic that Indonesian entrepreneurs can expand their business in the UAE. The Middle East market is still wide open for our products," he said.
According to 2010 data, India ranked first among exporters that send products to the UAE followed by China, the United States and Germany.
Indonesia`s exports to the UAE during 2009-2010 consisted of textiles and garments, furniture, electrical cables, footwear, cosmetics, household appliances and electrical devices.
(T.A051/HAJM/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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