Michael Kavanagh

Senior trade commissioner at Austrade, Michael Kavanagh, has worked in export marketing for the past 30 years and has lived in the Middle East for the past decade. He has just accepted a four-year posting to Saudi Arabia in a senior trade role and says the Middle East is in the midst of an unprecedented era of prosperity where 1400 major construction projects valued at more than $US1 trillion are underway. Around 200,000 high quality, private sector jobs will be on offer as the region faces its own skills crisis. "The Middle East is hemorrhaging money and looking for places to spend it," he says. "It's time to start talking in trillions of dollars.The countries of the region have moved from regular annual deficits to strong surplus positions, and the region can now create value through productivity rather than by distributing wealth earned from a depleting reserve." Kavanagh says significant changes fuelled by large petro-dollar inflows have created enormous opportunities for suppliers of raw materials and goods and services. Local MP Steven Ciobo says TradeStart is creating real benefits for local business in international markets.The program has assisted more than 1600 businesses achieve export sales worth more than $645 million since 2002-03. "This is a unique opportunity for Gold Coast businesses to put their products and services on the international stage with the help of the Australian Government," he says.

Contact: Mr Michael Kavanagh - Executive Director

Michael Kavanagh
...
Michael Kavanagh

Senior Trade Commissioner and Commercial (Counselor)

Leads Austrade's team of export and investment facilitation staff.Based in Riyadh, he has responsibility for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Yemen.

Today, the Trade Commissioner of Austrade, Michael Kavanagh, will brief businesses participating in the Trade Mission being held between 1 - 5 November 2007.