Exports of Turkish construction materials to the UAE in the first nine months of this year have risen over the previous year, according to statistics revealed by the Istanbul Mineral and Metals Exporters’ Association (IMMIB).

Exports in the nine-month period hit  $673.6 million, constituting 10 per cent of the total exports in the sector, says IMMIB secretary general M Mutlu Oktem.
In comparison, exports of  construction materials reached $901.5 million in 2005, constituting 9.5 per cent of the total exports from the sector.
This increase is a clear indication of the growth prospects of trade between Turkey and the UAE, he says.
Overall, the IMMIB’s exports have also risen: while it racked up nearly $26 billion last year in exports across the globe, which was about 32 per cent of Turkey’s total exports ($73.4 billion), this year the association has already accounted for 32.3 per cent of Turkey’s total exports within the first nine months.
The IMMIB comprises six associations: Istanbul Mineral Exporters’ Association; Istanbul Ferrous and Non Ferrous Metals Exporters’ Association; Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters’ Association; Istanbul Electrical, Electronics and Machinery Products Exporters’ Association; Istanbul Precious Minerals and Jewellery Exporters’ Association; and the Istanbul Iron and Steel Exporters’ Association.
As a professional and semi-governmental establishment, the IMMIB deals with all of the export activities of its more than 26,000 exporter members, and has been playing a significant role in Turkish exports.
The association, along with the Export Promotion Center of Turkey (IGEME), was in Dubai recently to participate at the Big 5 show.
“The Big 5 has grown in importance by uniting the international, regional and local buyers from the public and private sectors, in addition to architects, engineers, contractors and specifiers,” says Oktem.
“With around 2,000 companies from 50 countries participating at the show and national pavilions including some of the world’s major exporting countries under the same roof, the show helped us build on the good results that we have achieved last year,” he adds.