SIE returns, aims to boost economic growth, attract trade interest

7 March 2023

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is set to host its biggest business and trade fair, the Sabah International Expo (SIE), which will make a comeback after a six-year hiatus.

The biennial event, jointly organised by the Federation of Sabah Industries (FSI), the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) Sabah branch, and the Sabah Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry, is sanctioned by the Sabah government and endorsed by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).

SIE2023, the 10th installment of the event, is scheduled to run for three days in September and aims to attract commercial and economic interest to the state.

The previous nine SIEs attracted participation from more than 50 countries, drawing 326,125 visitors and generating more than RM440mil in sales and future orders.

Today, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor was briefed on the event by the co-organising chairman, Datuk Lee Swi Heng, who is also the MICCI Sabah chairman, at his office in Menara Kinabalu.

The Chief Minister is expected to launch the opening of SIE2023, which will feature 300 booths showcasing products and services from various sectors, including agriculture, tourism, industry, green technology, as well as oil and gas.

The main objective of the SIE is to provide a platform for exhibitors to meet, establish business contacts, and showcase their latest products and services from the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and Asean as a whole.

Sabah, with its abundant natural resources and proximity to the region's economic powerhouses such as China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Australia, is poised to become an excellent trading hub in South-East Asia.