Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Dubai, 19 February 2014: Dubai will bring together the best minds leading trade and economic development strategies worldwide at the 10th Trade Promotion Organisations (TPO) Network World Conference and Awards, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

The conference and the awards ceremony, organised by Dubai Exports, the export promotion agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED), in partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC) will be held 3-5 November 2014 in Dubai.

First of its kind to be held in the Middle East, the three-day event will host more than 200 experts from TPOs, trade support institutions and academia, and will focus on innovative solutions that support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in increasing their export competitiveness. A particular emphasis will be on the economic empowerment of women and export promotion.

Commenting on the conference, Sheikh Hamdan said the event will be a major milestone along the UAE's journey towards a successful World Expo 2020.

"A unique feature of the UAE is its ability to connect people and their ideas as is evident in our location, infrastructure, policies and development strategies. As a result the nation has remained a major destination for meetings and events, a fact that has been reaffirmed by the international community when Dubai was chosen to host Expo 2020," said Sheikh Hamdan.

"Dubai has also continued to energise trade along its history. Its focus on promoting business and economic diversification has seen the emirate's non-oil trade crossing one trillion dirhams in the first nine months of 2013 alone as against AED 918 billion for the same period in 2012," added Sheikh Hamdan

The 2014 TPO Network Awards will be announced at a gala dinner on the first night of the conference. The call for applications for the Awards will be announced during the first quarter of 2014 and the details will be posted on the website TPOnetwork.net

ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. ITC assists SMEs in developing and transition economies in becoming more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the Millennium Development goals.

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About Dubai Exports
Dubai Exports, an agency of the Dubai Department of Economic Development, Government of Dubai, commenced operations in 2007.  As part of the Economic Development Department of Dubai, its mandate is to facilitate trade from Dubai and establish itself as a world-class export development and promotion body by creating an enabling environment for Dubai's exporters. Dubai Exports has developed a range of value-added trade support services to UAE-based firms exporting through Dubai, for accelerated and profitable expansion of their businesses in foreign markets.

For further information, please contact:
Faisal Shamsudheen               
Marketing & Communication Department    
Department of Economic Development           
Tel: (971 4) 361 3070                     
Email: faisal.pathiasseri@dubaided.gov.ae       

© Press Release 2014