At the end of June 2021, six Latvian biomedical companies participated in the ‘Arab Health 2021’ in Dubai. The fair was a warm-up event for the ‘EXPO 2020’ that is set to start on October 1, 2021.
“All in all, the ‘Arab Health 2021’ fair was a great experience for Latvian companies as they were able to reach out to a wide audience and even conclude several contracts. The hybrid event proved to be a success – having started digitally before the main event, it provided a good opportunity to book a meeting in person. Due to the pandemic, the number of visitors was a third lower than usually, but that just meant they were more interested in making new contacts. The Latvian companies managed to reach out to 50 to 270 potential clients, which is a good result,” says Inga Ulmane, the Head of the LIAA Representative Office in the UAE.
At the fair, Latvia was represented by such companies as ‘DoctoWell’, ‘Biosan’, ‘Longenesis’, ‘Ferterex’, ‘Nordeplast’ and ‘PharmIdea’. The biomedical industry in the UAE and other Middle East countries has a high potential. Products made in Europe are highly appreciated in the region, and this gives us an advantage over competitors.
“Even though the fair took place during the pandemic, it was very well organised. As a start-up, being part of the Latvian National Stand meant higher credibility when negotiating with potential business partners. It is of great importance in the Middle East and helps achieve more than when going individually. We are delighted with the results and believe this is the way to attract new customers. What surprised us was the fact that we managed to make new connections outside the Middle East as visitors from Brazil, the USA, India and several European countries showed interest in our products,” says Auseklis Sarkans, a co-founder of ‘DoctoWell’.
Andrejs Gaivoronskis, the Head of the Product Group at ‘Biosan’ admits seeing a great potential for growth even after working in the Middle East for 15 years.