Against the backdrop of the harsh tariff winds from the US battering the global footwear and leather market, DIFLEX 2025 (The Dubai International Footwear and Leather Exhibition), the region’s largest B2B trade show is set to open offering a vantage point for manufacturers and brands to diversify and ramp up engagement with the Middle East and Africa (MEA) market.
In a statement, organisers of the show, Verifair, said DIFLEX in its fifth edition now is taking place at a time when the footwear and leather markets are in challenging times with the tariffs against major producing countries eating into potential growth and impacting the price lines at the consumer end.
“This year, DIFLEX 2025 is bigger than the previous editions with large participation from countries such as China and India caught in the tariff muddle. The MEA market, including the GCC, has always been an attractive destination with its growing population, a young demography catalysing consumption, urbanisation and massive retail growth,” asserted Jeen Joshua, Managing Director, Verifair.
Diversifying market footprints
“MEA has become all the more important now with industry players looking at workarounds to stay competitive by diversifying market footprints, strategic partnerships and scouting for alternate trade and manufacturing hubs with lesser tariff burden that will help hedge growth risks,” he added.
Moreover, the show is taking place in Dubai, a major export and re-exporting hub to markets across the region and the world. According to Dubai Chamber of Commerce the total combined value of exports and re-exports were to the tune of AED 309.6bn in 2024, a 9.2 per cent growth from the previous year. GCC countries alone accounted for 52% of total exports and re-exports at AED 161bn. Non-GCC Middle East countries clocked AED 76.8bn, AED 30.9bn to Africa, AED 29.7bn to Asia-Pacific and AED 7.9bn to Europe.
DIFLEX which will run during September 23-25 in Dubai will showcase more than 250 brands and 10,000 product lines to an estimated number of 5,000 trade visitors from across the world.
Participants
Significantly, China is the largest participant at the show, followed by India, Italy and EU countries among more than 16 countries from across the globe, showcasing a wider variety of top trending, luxury and stylish product range.
Among the countries in the region, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are the leading consumer markets for footwear and leather products, buoyed by non-food retail growth alone at a CAGR of over 6.2 per cent, projected to grow to US$ 243.6bn by 2028 compared to US$ 182.5bn in 2023, according to Logic Consulting.
Participating countries
Apart from China and India, the participating countries at DIFLEX 2025 include Italy, Portugal, Egypt, Syria, Spain, Thailand, Pakistan, the UAE, Jordan, Turkey, and many others. The show’s supporting partners include the Council for Leather Exports, (CLE) Ministry of Commerce, India, and Associazione Promotori Vendite Calzature (Assoprov), Italy.
The expo will highlight products ranging from finished leather and footwear to bags, accessories, garments and footwear components, with confirmed 300 plus hosted buyers. The event will also have a knowledge sharing conference under various themes, including sustainability-driven growth strategies for ‘Footwear & Leather Industry’ in the Middle East,’ addressed by industry veterans.
