Gaziantep, known as the capital of the carpet sector in Türkiye, is gearing up to host the Gaziantep Carpet Fair for the first time this year, organized by the Tüyap Exhibitions Group (www.Tuyap.com). The event, in collaboration with the Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, will take place at the Gaziantep Middle East Fair Center (OFM) from May 28 to 31, 2024. It is supported by the Gaziantep Governorship, the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, the Southeastern Anatolia Carpet Exporters Association (GAHİB), and the Gaziantep Chamber of Carpenters and Weavers.

The fair aims to attract numerous visitors from North Africa and Europe – primarily from the Middle East region. It will showcase all the sector’s production items, including handmade carpets and prayer rugs

The fair is designed to significantly contribute to the commercial objectives of the carpet sector. It will feature a wide range of products including machine-made carpets, rugs, mats, prayer rugs, textile floor coverings (wall-to-wall), fibres, yarns, textiles, as well as textile machinery and accessories.

It is anticipated that numerous international visitors from the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, UK, Bulgaria, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Russia, Malaysia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Kenya will attend the fair.

Gaziantep will showcase its potential to the world

İlhan Ersözlü, General Manager of Tüyap Fairs Productions Inc., noted that Gaziantep is a global leader in the production and export of machine-made carpets, stating, “Such potential needs to be better recognized worldwide and in our own country. We believe that our Gaziantep Carpet Fair, which the Tüyap Exhibitions Group is organizing for the first time, will create a significant impact this year. So far, the sales of the fair have reached halfway. Participants will include 40 different companies from 10 countries and nearly 200 companies in total, showcasing thousands of square meters of carpets. The fair will occupy two halls over an area of 30,000 square meters, featuring all the sector’s production items, including handmade carpets, woven floor coverings, and prayer rugs.”

Tuncay Yıldırım, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, highlighted that the carpet sector is a cornerstone of Gaziantep’s economy. He expressed both excitement and optimism for the upcoming Gaziantep Carpet Fair, set to commence on May 28. Yıldırım mentioned, “Gaziantep, with its powerful production infrastructure and market share, is well positioned to set trends in world carpet fashion and is preparing to welcome the global carpet industry from May 28 to 31. The prospect of sector representatives from around the world gathering in our city for the Gaziantep Carpet Fair is thrilling. I am confident that this fair will significantly benefit our local companies in the sector by strengthening existing business relationships and fostering new ones. Moreover, the fair should have a positive impact on the recovery and restoration of trade and production in our region, which suffered substantial damage from the earthquakes on February 6. We look forward to welcoming all sector representatives to Gaziantep on May 28.”

3 billion dollars in carpet exports

The global trade volume of the carpet sector has reached 17.2 billion dollars. Türkiye exports approximately 3 billion dollars’ worth of carpets to 117 countries, ranking second globally in all types of carpets and first in machine-made carpet production. Among the top ten export destinations are the USA (accounting for 45 percent), Iraq, England, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Russia, and Kazakhstan.

The Gaziantep Carpet Fair can be visited from 10:00 to 18:00 on May 28-30, 2024, and from 10:00 to 17:00 on May 31, 2024.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of TÜYAP.

For more information: 
Gökçe Ece Oksay 
UNITE Edelman 
(533) 611 54 82  
gokce.ece@unite.com.tr

About Tüyap:
Founded by Bülent Ünal in 1979, Tüyap holds the distinction of being Türkiye’s first exhibition company. It has been a leader in the development of the exhibition industry in the country. Over the past 45 years, Tüyap has organized numerous exhibitions both in Türkiye and internationally. Throughout these events, it has served over 350,000 companies from various countries and welcomed more than 70 million visitors.

With five owned and operated exhibition centres in Türkiye and international offices in six countries, Tüyap regularly organizes specialized fairs. The company maintains long-term collaborations with more than 100 professional organizations, supported by a team of professionals. Notably, Tüyap organized the first Turkish export product fairs in China, Russia, and Africa and continues to organize Turkish national participation in an average of 10 international fairs per year. As the only private sector exhibition organization in Türkiye that owns its exhibition centres, Tüyap continues to innovate by organizing hybrid fairs, leveraging its digital capabilities.

A Parliament Committee has advised the Uganda Electricity Company Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) to transition staff from completed to new projects rather than recruit new staff, in a bid to save time and money on recruitment and training.

The entity has also been advised to prioritise building and strengthening its internal human resource capacity by hiring competent personnel to enhance the department’s effectiveness.

The recommendations are contained in a report by the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources which investigated alleged gross mismanagement at UETCL.

In a petition to Parliament, aggrieved former employees of the company called for halting of staff layoffs until a management review is sanctioned by Parliament, and also called for halting of procurement of KPMG to recruit company positions.

The Committee observed that completion or near completion of projects from which the petitioners’ remuneration was drawn, created a financial gap.

“This lack of funds for the continued payment of contractual remuneration for the staff resulted into the non-renewal of the petitioners’ contracts,” said Hon. Fredrick Angura (NRM, Tororo South County), who presented the report on behalf of the Committee.

He added that the use of an external consultant, KPMG, to carry out external recruitments was costly and presented no value for money when the company had a human resources department for the purpose.

“The Committee further recommends that UETCL expedites the review of the Human Resource Manual to guide future recruitments and promotions,” reads the report in part.

Hon. Jane Pacuto (NRM, Pakwach district) challenged the Committee’s position on the use of a human resource consultant to recruit staff for the company.

“We should not always look at costs. You would rather hire a consultant to procure personnel with the right qualities to take up the job. With a consultant, we are sure of independence and transparency in recruitment,” Pacuto said.

Sheema County South MP, Prof. Elijah Mushemeza tasked government to consider the recruitment and layoff concerns raised by the petitioners, to plan accordingly for the rationalisation process.

“People with qualification and skills should be given the opportunity to get employment in the system even after their contracts on a project expire. These are good practices we should take into the rationalisation process in the near future,” Mushemeza added.

Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi (NUP, Kyadondo County East) tasked government to take the services of the Industrial Court to all parts of the country in a bid for employers or employees to get adequate redress on labour petitions.

He noted that the court has only two judges out of the five expected to oversee it, and is stationed in Kampala yet it ought to serve the whole country.

“Most of the labour officers do not exist in some regions and for the regions where there are labour officers, their operational procedure and transaction is not regulated. Someone can lodge a complaint and it takes five to ten years without receiving attention,” Nkunyingi noted.

The Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, said the court is fully constituted with required judicial officers and that labour officers are stationed across the country including a Commissioner for Labour, and District Labour Officer.

“You have mentioned that some areas do not have labour officers so I am going to take it up with Ministry of Gender and make sure that is done. There are other remedies available because we have a Chief Magistrate at every district and Grade One Magistrate at every constituency,” said Kiryowa Kiwanuka.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

The Hon. Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa Sentamu, this morning flagged off a delegation of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Permanent Secretary, Bagiire Vincent Waiswa on a 4-day field visit to the Albertine Graben region hosted by the Petroleum Association of Uganda (PAU) and comprising members of the MoFA Senior management, as well as Heads of Mission and technical officials from Uganda Embassies in Dar-Es-Salaam, Paris, Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

In a pre-briefing session held in the Ministry’s Wapakhabulo Auditorium, head of delegation Mr. Bagiire thanked the PAU for hosting the MoFA during the field visit and informed the Hon. Minister that MoFA has set four priority areas of focus for sourcing of investors under Economic and Commercial Diplomacy which include Agro-processing, Tourism, Mineral Development and Science and technology transfer. He shared that the MoFA had been working in close partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development in building the technical capacity of Uganda’s Foreign Service by equipping the Ambassadors and officers with first-hand knowledge about Uganda’s petroleum industry and related mineral development programmes. He stressed the importance, in the face of an onslaught of misinformation and disinformation about Uganda’s mineral sector, for Uganda’s representatives abroad to be able to make quick and effective responses in setting the record straight.

Hon. Nankabirwa appreciated the MoFA for the initiative of making on-spot visits in the various priority areas. She encouraged the delegation to focus on familiarizing themselves with the international issues that surround the petroleum industry, particularly the economic and social issues in the project affected areas, environmental issues as well as study the procedures, standards and legal provisions. She encouraged them to interface with Project Affected Persons and engage them in conversations to learn their experiences. “Hearing from people on the ground will boost your confidence that Uganda has ticked off all the boxes in the quest for clean energy,” she advised the team to pay attention to the operational areas including the East African Oil Pipeline route which encompasses the main camps, pipe yards, livelihood restoration activities and replacement housing. Hon. Sentamu reminded the official of the urgent need to combat the environmental issues caused by careless use of fossil fuels and rampant deforestation which can be curbed through responsible oil and gas exploration. During the visit, the delegation will visit the UPIK, the Centre of Excellence for Oil and Gas Training and the Kingfisher Development project in Kikuube district to view the drilling activities.

The delegation will also visit the Waste Management Facility in Luwero Industries as well as inspect feeder pipeline activities and the Kabalega Industrial Park. Also on the programme, the team will visit the Tilenga Project Industrial area and experience activity at the MSL Agriculture Produce Collection point. “By the end of the field visit, we expect to have a highly empowered critical mass of Foreign Service personnel whose understanding of the Petroleum economy will be apparent, as they go out to seek for investment partners and collaboration opportunities in their areas of accreditation,” said PS Bagiire.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Retail is emerging among the most vibrant sectors of the East African economy. Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, has not only become an important retail market in its own right but a stepping stone into the rest of the country and wider East Africa. Nairobi is a rising regional shopping destination, the headquarters to many regional retail and food and beverage (F&B) businesses, and a launchpad for retail concepts into other East African areas.

It is believed that urbanisation, a growing middle class and the rise of digital connectivity are boosting the retail sector in Nairobi, according to a consensus of thought leaders participating in the 11th annual East Africa Property Investment (EAPI) Summit Retail Forum, which takes place on the second day of the event to be held on 17 and 18 April 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Digitally savvy middle-class Kenyans are demanding local brand experiences that align with what they see regionally, continentally and internationally, and are boosting the retail sector in Nairobi. Rising consumer demand has led to the development of strong local retail brands and the emergence of international brands—all seeking to capitalise on this growing customer base.

As a key sector of the property industry, retail is crucial to the growth of a prosperous and thriving real estate market. For this reason, retail and F&B will take centre stage at the #EAPI2024 Retail Forum, hosted in Partnership with Village Market, Knight Frank and CBRE Excellerate. The unique platform for East Africa’s retail sector to meet and connect with the region’s leading landlords, brokers, financiers, advisory teams and more will play a part in shaping Africa’s most exciting retail market and exploring regional and global trends.

Ryan Pape, Country Manager at CBRE Excellerate Kenya, notes that Nairobi’s infrastructural improvements and private sector investment have opened the playing field to both local and international retailers and F&B chains.

“Nairobi’s infrastructural improvements and private sector investment has opened up the playing field to both local and international retailers and F&B chains. We see increased public and private investment into roads, rail, shopping malls, convenience malls, cold chains and distribution centres, to name just a few areas.”

Hooman Ehsani, Director of New Developments, Greenhills Investment Limited, which built the Village Market Shopping&Recreation Complex in Nairobi and took it through five expansions, including Tribe Hotel, believes that well-positioned brands with the right product mix would do well to open a store in Nairobi.

“The Nairobi F&B scene has become considerably more vibrant and appealing over the last couple of years, with the success of some newer entrants catalysing more creativity and energy, and encouraging more entrepreneurs to venture into the space. Similarly, on the retail side, we’ve seen a significant spike in interest as business owners aim to meet a growing appetite, especially for locally produced fashion, home furnishings and beauty services.”

Ehsani adds, “Nairobi is now achieving a level of comfortable balance between retail space in the right locations and better-quality retailers with the right products for the market. There is renewed confidence within the business community and increased optimism around stability and growth opportunities.”

Wambui Mbarire, CEO at RETRAK Kenya, reports that the biggest recent change in the market is the increased diversity of retail partners to rent the newly developed spaces. “Whereas historically, there were one or two potential tenants with the capacity to rent prime retail real estate, the growth of the sector has seen more options available to landlords.”

Mbarire notes that Nairobi, with its diversity and cosmopolitan nature, is a great place to test and tweak brands for launch into other Kenyan and East African towns and cities. “The urbanisation that we are seeing countrywide is also providing retail property players with additional locations outside of the traditional Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu axis. Good examples of this include Nakuru, Eldoret, Naivasha as well as Kajiado, Kitengela, Kiambu, Limuru, Thika and Ngong.”

Mark Dunford, CEO at Knight Frank Kenya, states, “Nairobi’s retail, food, and beverage sector is experiencing a dynamic growth surge, driven by the strategic expansion of both local and international retailers. This growth is a result of the city’s increasing urbanisation and consumer spending, which have been supported by private equity investments. The burgeoning retail landscape offers lucrative opportunities for both investors and retail brands. As Nairobi’s status continues to grow into a prominent hub, it offers investment prospects for stakeholders in the retail property sector and capital investors. This is largely attributed to a boost in investor confidence, fuelled by government-led infrastructure projects and the growing allure for international retail entities.

In today’s market, establishing a presence in Nairobi is exceptionally attractive for retail brands. The city’s upgraded infrastructure, combined with the robust growth of both local and multinational retailers, cements its position as one of the premier retail markets in Africa.

Murray Anderson-Ogle, GM of Marketing and Commercial at API Events, adds, “Kenya is a key market with many successful local homegrown retail brands, including those operating in the vibrant F&B arena, and it has the clear potential to be an African retail real estate powerhouse.”

All agree that the surging retail market requires a platform to connect with its real estate stakeholders, and the EAPI Retail Forum answers this need. #EAPI2024 Retail Forum is exclusively in-person at Radisson Blu, Upper Hill, Nairobi. 

“The understanding of this market’s changing needs that will be provided at the EAPI Retail Forum is beneficial to landowners, developers, investors, and property professionals alike,” highlights Pape.

“EAPI has been at the leading edge of the conversation around property trends in the region, and investment in retail and F&B operations has become a significant part of the investor interest,” says Ehsani.

Mbarire concludes, “This is the natural progression of the market, and establishing the EAPI Retail Forum now will ensure participation in one of the most vibrant sectors of the East African economy.”

The Retail Forum of the 11th East Africa Property Investment Summitt will take place on 18 April 2024 at Radisson Blu, Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenya. For more information and to book to attend the EAPI Summit visit https://EAPISummit.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of API Events.

Distributed by API Events:
EAPI Summit enquires:
Murray Anderson-Ogle
Email: Murray@apievents.com
Contact: +27 71 890 77 39
Website: www.APIEvents.com