In what should come across as good news for Indian SMEs, the Small and Medium Enterprises Expo and Conference, which will be held in Dubai from December 13-15, 2010, will offer a great platform to small units to promote their brands, products and services, as well as explore business opportunities in the Middle East and North African markets.

Besides giving a major impetus to networking activities with other visiting countries such as Pakistan, Mauritius, Nigeria and Vietnam, the event will offer Indian SMEs the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the latest technologies in their industries and form alliances with international clients. Indian SMEs from sectors such as plastic, petrochemicals, garments and textiles, and art and handicrafts, among others, are likely to gain from participation at the expo.

Indian SMEs attending the event could also seek to scout for partnership possibilities with Dubai and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) based countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar.

Significantly, according to the Dubai Customs department, with bilateral trade between India and Dubai shooting above US$23.14 billion, India was Dubai's biggest direct trade partner during the initial seven months of 2010.

Meanwhile, Indian Consul General in Dubai Sanjay Verma has said that there is an urgent need to boost India’s banking presence in the UAE to enhance two-way trade and investments. This development should also encourage companies in the banking sector to look for investment possibilities in the UAE.