India Remains Top Rice Exporter to Dubai.

India remained the largest rice exporter to Dubai, supplying the emirate with more than Dhone billion worth of rice in the first five months of 2011, nearly 66 per cent of Dubai’s total rice imports, official figures have shown.

Iran maintained its position as the top market for Dubai’s re-exports, including rice, while the United States came second, showed the figures by the Dubai Customs Department, carried by the Arabic language daily 'Al Bayan'.

Total rice imports by Dubai, the Middle East’s main transshipment centre, stood  at around Dh1.7 billion in the first five months of 2011, of which nearly Dh540 worth of rice were re-exported, the figures showed.

India remained the dominant rice exporter to Dubai, with a value of around Dh1.127 billion, nearly 66 per cent of the emirate’s total rice imports.

Pakistan was the second largest rice supplier to the emirate, with a value of around 478 million, nearly 28 per cent. It was followed by Thailand, which exported about Dh76 million, nearly 4.5 per cent of the total.

“This means India, Pakistan and Thailand accounted for nearly 98.4 per cent of Dubai’s total rice imports in the first five months of this year, with a total combined value of Dh1,680 million,” the report said.

Dubai’s rice re-exports stood at around Dh540 million and Iran was the top market, receiving nearly 473 million worth of those re-exports, nearly 87.6 per cent. The value of Dubai’s rice re-exports to the US stood at about 20.5 million, nearly 3.8 per cent of its total rice re-exports during that period. Singapore came third, with a value of Dh17.5 million or around 3.2 per cent.

“Dubai’s total rice re-exports to those three countries stood at around Dh511 million, nearly 84.7 per cent of its total rice re-exports.”

Source : emirates247.com