LONDON: A fashion industry is taking shape in the MENA region that could create jobs for up to 20 million women, the Arab Fashion Council has said. The organization, which aims to unite 22 Arab countries under one umbrella, is laying the framework for a style sector stretching from North Africa to the Gulf.|
Countries will be divided into three clusters to harness the strengths of local economies and create a sustainable fashion infrastructure that reaches across the region, said Jacob Abrian, founder and chief executive of the Arab Fashion Council. “This way we are connected in terms of creative economy — every country will be pioneering its own expertise.”
North Africa will provide the raw materials and textiles, building on an established manufacturing industry, while the factories of the Levant will be used for finishing and assembling the products. Retail will be concentrated in the Gulf, where cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi attract shoppers from all over the world. “By doing this we estimate having 20 million women as part of the system from all over the Arab world,” Abrian said.
This is an opportunity to “create a completely new economy,” he said.
On Monday, Princess Noura Bint Faisal Al-Saud, honorary president of the Arab Fashion Council, which recently announced plans to open a regional office in the Kingdom, said Saudi Arabia would host its first Arab Fashion Week in Riyadh this March.
Reading a letter from the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, she said: “Saudi Arabia’s artistic community has been growing in size and in confidence for a number of years and the General Entertainment Authority believes that such an event will allow a proper platform to showcase their fashion and arts talents as the vehicle for a comprehensive range of entertainment options in Saudi Arabia.
“The General Entertainment Authority is proud to support an event that seeks to bring people together in a mutual appreciation of the power of fashion and art.” Arwa Al-Banawi, a Saudi designer who regularly exhibits at Paris Fashion Week, said the Kingdom has been a regional fashion hub “for years but never on a global level.”
“There’s so much talent and so many buyers and beautiful boutiques in Saudi — we have the right people that can actually make this happen and make it a hub,” Al-Banawi said… see more
source: arabnews
Tags: business, Fashion, MENA Fashion Industry, women
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