Leading Italian nautical manufacturers are gearing up to make a splash at the Dubai International Boat Show 2024, taking place from February 28 to March 3 at Dubai Harbour. Showcasing their latest innovations within the ‘Italy Pavilion,’ organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the companies will present a comprehensive display of industry-leading mechanics, technology, design, furniture, and components. Italy has secured its position as one of the UAE’s leading industry trade partners, and this event underscores the strong ties between the two nations.
Italy’s boating industry has maintained a robust position in trade exports, with EUR 110.2 million worth of nautical products exported to the UAE from January to November 2023. Boasting an 80% export rate of ship and boat production, Italy recorded EUR 9.3 billion in exports in 2022 (a 40% year-on-year increase) and EUR 3.8 billion in the first half of 2023 (a 4.3% year-on-year increase), strengthening its place as the third-largest industry exporter globally, following China and South Korea.
Organized in collaboration with Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Marine Industry Association (Confindustria Nautica), the Italy Pavilion at the Dubai International Boat Show 2024 will feature 21 Italian companies. This collective participation reflects Italy’s enduring dominance in the sector and its commitment to a new era of innovation and sustainability in shipbuilding and the nautical industry.
Under the slogan ‘Sustainability is SustainabITALY’, Italy’s leading manufacturers are at the forefront of designing ships that adhere to modern emissions standards, exemplifying a new wave of “Made in Italy” excellence. In the UAE, consistent engagement with Italian manufacturers has cultivated robust trade relationships, with Italian nautical manufacturing becoming synonymous with durability and quality craftsmanship.
Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of Italy to the UAE, said: “I am pleased to witness at the Dubai International Boat Show the fast-increasing relation between Italy and the UAE in the maritime sector. From world-class design, to technological innovation, to sustainability, Italy’s maritime and yacht industry perfectly embodies the values that make “Made in Italy” recognized and appreciated in the UAE.”
Valerio Soldani, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE and Director of the UAE’s ITA office, said: “The Dubai International Boat Show is the region’s largest marine lifestyle event, and it serves as a prime platform for Italian exhibitors to feature their “Made in Italy” excellence products in the nautical sector. A further step ahead in the growing Italy-UAE trade relationship in the sector, the Italy Pavilion will once again highlight Italian craftsmanship, innovation and luxury, leaving a lasting impression on the global boating and yachting industry and forging new trade connections.”
Saverio Cecchi, President of the Italian Marine Industry Association, said: “The Italian Marine Industry Association has been taking part in the Dubai International Boat Show for 18 years, happily bringing delegations of Italian businesses, organized in partnership with the Italian Trade Agency. The United Arab Emirates represent one of the key export destinations for the Italian yachting industry, which closed 2022 with 88% of national shipbuilding production destined for export”.
