India is set to become the top trading destination for the West Asia and North Africa Region according to a trade forecast by HSBC, one of the leading bankers in the region. It has predicted that India will be the top export destination for the UAE with a rise in trade by nearly 14 percent. Saudi Arabia will be the second largest export destination with a rise in trade by around 15.5 percent by 2030. In the case of Egypt, India will become the number one export destination by this period. The fastest rise in Egyptian imports from India will be in the machinery, transportation and manufacturing sectors. The latest forecast by HSBC was released at the Global Connect meet in Dubai yesterday. The Consul General of India in Dubai, Sanjay Verma emphasized the importance of the UAE as the gateway for investment from the West Asia and North Africa Region or MENA to India. He urged investors to take advantage of the surge in India-UAE trade ties, India's large skilled and entrepreneurial workforce along with the investor friendly policies in a huge market. The Chief Economist of HSBC India and the ASEAN region, Leif Eskessen said that the India growth story is intact and is there to stay in the medium and long term. He said reforms, favourable demographics, urbanization, a rising middle class and its entrepreneurship in SME and IT sectors will continue to provide momentum to its growth. He lauded the efforts made by the government and the RBI in this direction and said in the short term, growth forecast for this year is expected to be just over 4 percent, but by next year it is likely to grow over 5.5 percent.