Ahmad Younis, CEO of the Arab Irish Chamber of Commerce said Saudia Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Algeria are among the top performing countries.

“By tapping into some of the growing, vibrant Arab markets Irish businesses of all sizes can access new customers and there is real potential for scaling up and tapping into new revenue streams,” Mr Younis said.

The top performing country was Saudi Arabia, which imported more than €718m worth of goods from Ireland between January and September, an increase of 14% on the same period last year.

Goods exported to Saudi Arabia include electrical machinery, medical and pharmaceutical products, office machinery, food and dairy produce, eggs and a small number of prefab buildings.

The Arab Irish Chamber of Commerce provides a number of services to help Irish companies trade with 21 Arab states.

“The Irish tend to perform very well in Arab countries, sharing a lot of the same cultural values which makes doing business a lot easier,” said Mr Younis.

“But expanding into the Middle East and Gulf requires a lot of planning and a good understanding of the region’s unique business culture and practices.

“I urge anyone considering these markets to tap into the knowledge and expertise of established Irish companies and organisations in the region and don’t assume that your product will be right for every market,” he added.