The Korea International Trade Association wrapped up a four-day trade mission to the United Arab Emirates and Morocco this week, aiming to help Korean consumer goods companies broaden their reach in the Middle East and North Africa.
Led by KITA Executive Vice Chair Lee In-ho, the mission traveled to the UAE and Morocco from Monday to Thursday, bringing together eight Korean companies in cosmetics, medical supplies and food products to seek export opportunities and build stronger ties with local distributors and government bodies.
The mission comes amid rising regional demand for Korean consumer goods, driven by the worldwide appeal of Korean culture and growing consumer interest in Korean brands.
The UAE, a major business hub in the Middle East, has emerged as a promising market for Korean products, led by cosmetics. South Korea’s beauty exports to the country rose over ninefold from $31 million in 2020 to $287 million last year, according to KITA.
The Korea-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which took effect in May, is also expected to provide a stronger foundation for bilateral trade and investment.
In Dubai on Monday, the delegation held one-on-one business meetings with 27 local buyers at the Dubai Airport Free Zone as part of a Korea-UAE consumer goods networking event.
Participating buyers included major regional retailers such as Landmark Group, Lulu Group, Choithrams and AI Maya Group.
The delegation also held meetings with Farah Al Zarooni, assistant undersecretary at the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation, to discuss strategies for entering the halal consumer market and expanding bilateral cooperation in consumer goods and distribution.
The delegation then traveled to Morocco, where KITA and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency’s Casablanca office jointly held a business matchmaking event on Wednesday.
Korean companies held export consultations and networking sessions with around 10 local distributors, including Carrefour.
KITA also co-hosted a Korea-Morocco economic cooperation seminar with the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises, where representatives from Moroccan business and investment agencies outlined investment opportunities and market entry strategies.
Morocco is emerging as a possible manufacturing and export hub bridging Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It is the only African country with a free trade agreement with the US and also maintains preferential trade arrangements with the EU.
On Thursday, Lee met with Fadel Youssef, Morocco’s director general of industry, in Rabat to discuss expanding industrial cooperation under the proposed Korea-Morocco Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and facilitating Korean companies’ entry into the Moroccan market.
“The UAE and Morocco are gateways to the Middle East and to Europe and Africa, respectively, and promising markets where consumer interest in Korean culture continues to grow,” said Lee. “We will actively support Korean consumer goods companies in leveraging their strengths in quality, safety and brand competitiveness to expand beyond the UAE and Morocco into the broader MENA market.”
sahn@heraldcorp.com
