Dubai, United Arab Emrites, January 8, 2007--The Carpet Oasis, organized by the Dubai Ports and Customs Authority and among the major attractions at this year's Dubai Shopping Festival, sold 1,500 carpets worth Dh7.88 million ($2.14 million) in its first 10 days, according to Trade Arabia.
About 2,000 visitors turned up during this period for the exhibition that will remain open until February 2. The event is being held at the Dubai Airport Exhibition Center.
Abdurahman Eesa, head of the organizing committee for the Carpet Oasis said that he expects total sales during DSF to reach Dh50 million and an equivalent amount of sales agreed upon between merchants, bringing the overall figure to Dh100 million.
The sales this year are expected to exceed last year's actual sales by Dh10 million, he said.
"The Carpet Oasis was launched in 1996 during DSF and in the previous years the exhibition has featured premium carpet manufacturers and antique exhibitors from around the world," said Abdurahman Eesa.
"The exhibition has been growing in fame and is today one of the best-known handmade carpet exhibitions in the world. The quality of the products and the number of participants are testimony to the growing popularity of the event."
"The Carpet Oasis features 150 local, regional, and international handmade carpet manufacturers with about 150,000 exquisite carpets made of wool, silk and other premium materials showcased for visitors," he added.
The importance of the exhibition is the fact that it has contributed substantially to the economy of Dubai and in the course of time made Dubai an important destination for carpet buyers and traders. An interesting feature of the exhibition is that the carpets sold are priced lower than in the countries where they are manufactured.
The carpets exhibited in the expo are of superior quality and include luxurious handmade carpets from Isfahan, Qom, Naeen, Hamadan, and Tabriz in addition to the Hariqi, Indian, Afghan and Pakistani ones. The handmade rugs feature designs that reflect the culture and tradition of each region.
