VisionPlus Arabia

primarily, bringing brands from the regions of Europe to America, Japan to China and India, along with local companies of course. Even in terms of visitor participation, we’re targeting a very broad market of over 50+ countries. The idea is to make Dubai a genuine procurement hub for eyewear industry, which also includes designer eyewear brands as well as private label manufacturers from across the globe. VP : Can Dubai be an international hub for eyewear like Italy and France? JB : Definitely. The glamour and glitz of Dubai is unparalleled. Nearly 90 percent of the population comprises of expats, and Dubai remains the key shopping destination for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region. Tourists from Europe too have been known to prefer buying fashion eyewear from Dubai than from their home countries. Even though Dubai may not have many domestic fashion brands, I don’t think any brand today can truly claim to be global, if it doesn’t have its presence established in Dubai. Zahra Amir (ZA) : The GCC market for optical products itself is over USD 1.4 billion. It’s a key market for global eyewear brands, and has already established itself as a hub for eyewear procurement. And this has been true for many years now. With the VisionPlus EXPO we would only be providing better opportunities to the existing buyers and giving them more variety to choose from. VP : Your VP Awards have had quite a participation in the past years. Do you expect this to grow further with VisionPlus EXPO? JB : The VP Awards has been a much anticipated event since its first Middle NEARLY 90 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION COMPRISES OF EXPATS, AND DUBAI REMAINS THE KEY SHOPPING DESTINATION FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND SOUTH ASIA REGION 23 VISION PLUS ARABIA EDITION