A group of countries in the Middle East is being considered by the Oregon Department of Agriculture as an emerging market.
A group of countries in the Middle East is being considered by the Oregon Department of Agriculture as an emerging market.
With the bustling city of Dubai poised as an Arab version of Hong Kong, early overtures to the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates show promise.
Located on the Arabian Peninsula along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, Dubai–which is also the name of the emirate in which the city is located– has seen a large-scale construction boom in recent years including the building of some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. It is now a business and tourism hub with the largest human-made harbor on the planet. As a port, Dubai is attractive for many reasons. There are no import quotas or other trade barriers, zero import duty on a variety of agricultural products that can be provided by Oregon, and the port contains excellent warehousing and transportation facilities.
In 2008, Oregon shipped approximately $130 million in agricultural products to the Middle East. The majority of that was bulk commodities such as grain, feed, and seed products. About $4 million in high value products were shipped last year including fruits and nuts, nursery products, and seafood. That’s where a great deal of potential for expansion exists.
