Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
If someone thinks it is all gloom out there in the wake of the global economic slowdown, consider this: Slovakia-based engineering company Biospol Group is to implement soon an estimated $90 million project in the kingdom.
It was announced at the Gulf Industry Fair 2009 organised last week by Hilal Exhibitions and Conferences in Bahrain.
The project, which is a sequel to a co-operation agreement signed by the governments of Slovakia and Bahrain last year, includes the upgradation of the 25-year-old water treatment plant in the kingdom, building a desalination plant, a waste treatment plant and a bio-fertiliser plant, said Kristian Kratochvil, general director of Bioenergetick‡ spolo_nos_, an engineering company providing leading-edge products and generating cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions to various types of environment and water treatment problems.
The current 200,000cu/m per day water treatment plant will be upgraded to a capacity of 320,000cu/m per day. The waste treatment plant will digest the sludge and generate electricity and heat from it, besides natural fertiliser, he said.
In six weeks' time a technical team from Slovakia will visit Bahrain and work out in detail the technical aspects of the project. Thereafter it will take nine months for the design and another 12 months for the completion of the project that would take the Bahrain water treatment capabilities into the 21st century, he said.
Biospol has wide experience in contracting for treatment of waste water, drinking water and process water for industries and municipalities, as well as innovative treatment of biological waste.
"Our contracting unifies implementation of our most advanced know-how and experience with our internally developed and licensed technologies for innovative solutions that deliver efficient and more economical operation," he said.
So it is not all gloom. From twin-seater airplanes to waste treatment plants, the second Gulf Industry Fair had everything, and by end of the second day, multi-million dollar deals were clinched by companies defying predictions of a global economic gloom spreading to the Middle Eastern region.
Opening the show, Bahrain Prime Minister, Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa said: "A downturn is the right time to organise such exhibitions. They will help to boost the confidence of business at this crucial time."
Exhibitions like the Gulf Industry Fair serve as confidence boosters to the economy at a time when crisis-mongering has become the norm, the Prime Minister said.
The times may not be rosy, but Bahrain has the wherewithal to weather it and emerge stronger than ever, he said.
Among the exhibitors, first-timer Elteco from Slovakia is on the verge of signing deals for the sale of two twin-seater airplanes to clients in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The small plane that can reach speeds of up to 300 kmph, costs $200,000 apiece, said Jurag Prochazka, general manager of Elteco.
The company also received 'good inquiries' for its $1.33 million cogeneration unit and, encouraged by this, is planning to set up an office in the kingdom, he said. The cogeneration unit can generate electricity up to 2.5 mw, he said.
German firm, arteko, which has expertise of more than 40 years in all sectors of waste management, recycling and sewage water treatment, is setting up a waste recycling plant at Sitra in the kingdom at a cost of $6.63 million.
The plant will become operational by the end of the month, said Boris Uhlig, managing director of arteko, which has been present in the Middle East since 1978.
The company notched up deals worth $80,000 selling three bailers - one to a client in Saudi Arabia and two to clients in Bahrain, he said.
Hypertherm, part of the Saudi-based Alruqee group, sold an angle-notching machine and a punching machine made by Boschert to Refho group in Saudi Arabia, for a price of $48,017, said Shaji Viswambharan, supervisor, procurement and warehousing, Alruqee.
The group also sold 10 magnetic drilling machines worth $21,341 to Yanbu-based Olay Descon.
Alruqee had grabbed the honours on the first day of the fair, winning a deal worth $134,000 for the sale of a Messer CNC Plasma cutting machine to a buyer in Jubail.
The presence of over 125 exhibitors at GIF clearly illustrates that there is no standstill or crisis in the kingdom, the chairman of the Bahrain Chambers of Commerce and Industry Dr Esam Fakro said.
"My advice to individual companies is to concentrate on productive sectors and stay away from speculative investments.
"Competitiveness is the name of the game and to win one has to stay ahead of the competition," he said.
