Arabs 'rush’ wool

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33753, 28 January 1975, Page 2

Arabs 'rush ’ wool

(N.Z PA, Staff Correspondent LONDON, January 27. London wool merchants are being “rushed off their feet” with orders from oil-rich countries in the Middle East, according to the International Wool Secretariat in London. The I.W.S. says the deman for high quality wool cloth in the East has increased with “explosive force” in recent years. The biggest rise in demand over the last four years had come from Iran, a leading wool merchant told the I.W.S. In the last two years there had also been huge increases in sales to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and trade with Iraq—previously difficult to conduct—had gone ahead “with a boom” since last October. OTHERS. TOO In other parts of the Middle East, where before the wool market was virtually non-existent, sales are expanding rapidly, the report says.

The rich State of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, the ancient State of Muscat and the Sheikhdom of Qatar are all becoming important cus* tomers. Throughout the Middle East, the demand Is for fine worsted and soft-handling woollens, but contrary to expectation, sales are often for medium to heavyweight cloths, of up to 15 or 16ozs.

“Merchants suggest that a reason may be the universal air conditioning which gives comfortably cool conditions,” the I.W.S. reports, adding that “in very hot areas, however, weights go down to around 9oz or lloz.”