KARACHI: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) plans to develop an institutional linkage between the fashion institutes of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to tap growing high-end textile and garment market, an official said on Tuesday.

Under the proposed plan, fashion institutes of the two countries would initiate exchange programmes of teachers and students; followed by the development of latest fabrics and garments according to Saudi Arabia’s high-end market requirements.

Saudi Arabia’s fashion market is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 12.7 percent to $3.085 billion by 2022, while the market’s largest segment apparel is

expected to have a market volume of $1.065 billion by the end of 2018, the official said.

Saudi Arabia had always been a lucrative market for fashion entrepreneurs;

however, it could be termed late entrant to the regional fashion scene where other Gulf countries such as the UAE has made its mark.

Dubai has also established a free zone for fashion and design companies to buoy the growth of the industry.

The official said it has also been planned that an exhibition of all such products would be organised in Saudi Arabia, while the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan’s Commercial Section Jeddah would continue its coordination on the proposal for institutional linkages between the leading academic institutions of textiles in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Moreover, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan ’s Commercial Section intends to arrange a textile show of high-end made-ups and fashion apparel in Jeddah with two major stakeholders from Pakistan, including Chenab Group and Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) and counterpart in Jeddah, including Dar ul Hikma University and Danube Supermarket.

Broad contours of textile show had been received from Dar ul Hikma University and currently discussion is being carried out to finalise the dates for the show, the official added.