Dubai will stage its debut International Textile Fair (ITF) which is expected to give further boost to the booming UAE textile industry which was valued at 13.2 billion (AED 48.5 billion) in 2011, and is growing at 9.9 percent annually.

The ITF will the first dedicated international textile show in the Gulf region bringing together textile manufacturers and designers from all over the world under one platform.

The two-day fair will attract textile manufacturers and designers from China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Italy and other countries. The organisers are targeting trade visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UAE, Oman, Iraq, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other GCC countries to visit the fair.

The United Arab Emirates is today a leading centre for textile industry automation with the presence of about 150 apparel manufacturing companies. Accounting for about 5.5 percent of the world's annual textile and clothing sales, the UAE has today become the world's fourth largest trading centre of fashion and apparel.

The Gulf countries are gradually becoming the world's leading textile manufacturing and trading centres due to a sound economic environment and fair trade practices, according to a recent international report. By 2016, the UAE will become the world's leading high-end textile and garment re-export centre.

Dilip Nihalani, the man behind the show, and whose company Nihalani Brothers is one of the oldest players in Dubai's textile trade said that shows like these are held regularly in cities like Paris, Milan and New York and it was high time Dubai staged such an event. That is why they decided to organize the International Textile Show at the Dubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre. Dubai has emerged as a leading retail fashion hub and what was missing was a top-class international fabric show. This fair will fill the gap.

The International Textile Fair is supported by the Textile Merchants Group (TEXMAS) that represents 800 wholesale textile traders of Dubai. The show will be held twice a year at Dubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre.

The ITF Show will be held from November 3 to 4, 2014, at Dubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre, Hall No. 4,