Dubai- January 3, 2013
HE Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone, has inaugurated today (Thursday January 3, 2013) the 18th edition of the Carpet and Arts Oasis 2013, organized by Dubai Customs at Dubai World Trade Centre as one of the main long-running attractions of Dubai Shopping Festival.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mr Ibrahim Saleh, Festivals Coordinator General, Mr Yousif Al Sahlawi, Senior Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at Dubai Customs and a number of officials at Dubai Customs and Dubai Events and promotions Establishment (DEPE), the organizing entity of DSF, and representatives of the media.
This year, the Carpet Oasis is being held over 7,000 sq m at Dubai World Trade Centre – Za’abeel Hall (3) and is showcasing over 170,000 handmade carpets. It will run till January 14, 2012 and includes an exclusive range of carpets from countries that have thriving carpet weaving industries including Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and India.
Bin Sulayem thanked DEPE for the important role DSF plays in driving trade and tourism traffic from around the world to Dubai. He added:” We are proud to have been organizing this exhibition of carpets since the launch of the 1st edition of DSF in 1996 as it contributes to boosting the trade and economic movement in the carpet industry this time of year. It features precious and rare carpets brought from the most famous carpet-producing countries in the world and draws huge crowds with a penchant for fascinating hand-made works of art. The shifting of Carpet and Arts Oasis this year to Dubai World Trade Centre will make it much more attractive as the largest international hub of hand-made carpets, showcasing over 170,000 handmade carpet pieces in the latest edition. A huge number of merchants strive to be part of the unique bonanza every year, which reflects its importance to their businesses and affirms the government partnership with the private sector- one of the strategic objectives of the government.”
On his side, Mr Saleh applauded Dubai Customs’ proper organization of the Carpet and Arts Oasis and said that its one of the major long-running attractions of DSF since its launch for the first time in 1996. DSF visitors look forward to it as it features a high-end and trusted quality of handmade carpet.
Dubai Customs’ organization of the Carpet Oasis is in line with one of its strategic goals related to sustaining economic development. The Carpet Oasis plays a major role in stimulating the economic and trade movement this time of year and attracts foreign investments from leading handmade carpet manufacturers worldwide. Carpet sales since its inception in 1996 and till last year’s edition have amounted to about AED 1.5bn. During these 17 years, more than 2 million carpets were exhibited and over 1 million people visited the exhibition.