Bilateral commerce here between UAE and Malaysia increased by 26.52% in the first quarter of 2021, to $1.97 billion (Dhs7.25 billion), up from $1.56 billion (Dh5.73 billion) in the same time last year, demonstrating the robustness of two-way trade.

Malaysia will present the most effective surgical and examination gloves, which saved lives of millions of people during COVID-19 epidemic, at the next Arab Health expo, which will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from June 21-24, 2021.

The Malaysia Trade Centre (MATRADE) in Dubai will once again organize the Malaysian pavilion at the Arab Health, the region's largest trade expo for healthcare and medical devices.

Malaysia's surgical and examination glove exports increased by 51.9% last year, totaling $4.16 billion, with key export destinations being the United States, Germany, Japan, China, and Brazil. As per the Malaysia Trade Centre in Dubai, Malaysian shipments of rubber gloves to the UAE grew by more than 400% to $35 million in the first four months of 2021.

According to Mr. Omar Mohd Salleh, Malaysia's Trade Commissioner to the Gulf Region, Malaysia's export of medical equipment increased by 24.9% to US$ billion in 2020, driven by the increasing need during the pandemic. Surgical and examination gloves, medical tools, apparatus and appliances, catheters, syringes, needles and sutures, and electro-medical equipment were amongst their primary exports. This year highlights MATRADE's sixty-fifth straight participation at the Arab Health exhibition. Although we will have fewer participants this year than in past years owing to continued travel restrictions, this is still an important chance to showcase Malaysian healthcare businesses to this portion of the world, particularly at a time when the world is striving together to combat the epidemic.

For so many years, Malaysia has been the ideal supplying hub for medical equipment, particularly medical disposable items. Companies at the Malaysia pavilion mostly make diagnostic and test kits, rubber goods, and medical components, among several other things.

Malaysia's medical devices sector is driven by businesses that manufacture medical gloves and other medical disposable items. Malaysian glove players are well-known all over the world for their accomplishment: they provide 60% of the world market for rubber gloves. Fewer people realize that Malaysia is indeed the world's top manufacturer and exporter of catheters, accounting for 80% of worldwide demand.

Currently, more than 90% of Malaysian-made medical equipment is exported. Aside from that, more than 30 international corporations have chosen Malaysia as an offshore manufacturing site. Among these are Abbott, Agilent, B. Braun, Ambu, Ciba Vision, and several others.

Today, Malaysia has almost 200 medical device producers the majority of which are small and medium-sized businesses producing medical gloves. The sector does, however, contain higher-value-added and technologically advanced items such as cardiac pacemakers, stents, orthopedic implanted devices, and electromedical, therapeutic, and monitoring equipment.

Quite astonishingly, Malaysia's surgical mask exports in 2020 increased by 407.5% to US$ million, up from US$2.93 million in 2019. Malaysia's top surgical mask export destinations were Hong Kong, China, Italy, Singapore, and Germany. “The Malaysian government, led by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), is dedicated to strengthening Malaysian exporters' global resilience, mostly during Covid-19 recovery phase,” said Omar Mohd Salleh, Malaysia's Trade Commissioner to the Gulf area.

Omar further stated that, in addition to medical equipment and disposables, Malaysia has become a pioneer in the certified halal pharmaceutical sector for its worldwide halal pharmaceutical standards.

“The Malaysian government has developed the Malaysian Standard of Halal Pharmaceuticals, which is a complete set of standards. “Our latest halal standard has broadened the opportunity for halal certifying organizations to handle biologics and the quest for halal vaccinations,” he added.

To help Malaysian businesses enter foreign markets during the health crisis, MATRADE provides current market information through the MyExport portal and has embraced the virtual framework of pre-arranged business-to-business meetings through eBizMatch.

Ever since Covid-19 breakout in March of last year, MATRADE has held regular virtual meetings to draw customers from this country looking for medical items like rubber gloves, personal protective equipment, face masks, syringes, catheters, and sutures. Business people from such a region are encouraged to contact the MATRADE office in Dubai for any help required by the supplier. Malaysia's Trade Commissioner further encouraged importers to examine the integrity of suppliers to prevent online fraudsters who take benefit of higher demand for medical supplies throughout this pandemic time.