Exciting opportunities

The prospect of exciting new business opportunities in the northern Gulf's industrial sector in 2011 and beyond is intensifying interest in the Gulf Industry Fair (GIF), to be held from February 8 to 10 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC).

The fair, the leading B2B exhibition for the Northern Gulf's industrial sector, promises to be the largest and most innovative since the series was launched in 2008, with booked floor space already exceeding the 2010 total, bucking regional trade show trends.

The region's industrial sector is flourishing despite global economic challenges and the northern Gulf is on the cusp of a fresh wave of investment in new industrial infrastructure including world-class petrochemical plants and aluminium smelters, dedicated downstream manufacturing facilities and logistics zones.

In response to feedback from exhibitors and visitors at GIF 2010, organisers Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions (HCE) is launching, for the first time in 2011, dedicated pavilions for the key industrial segments of energy, aluminium and logistics to better showcase products and services, bring related businesses together and enable visitors to make the best use of the show.

Some of the biggest names in the industrial world are providing high-level strategic support for the pavilions. The energy, aluminium and logistics pavilions are sponsored respectively by the National Oil & Gas Authority (Noga) in association with Bapco; Alba and First Bahrain's Majaal. British Offset renews its strategic sponsorship of the exhibition and the General Organisation of Sea Ports has added its support to the Logistics Pavillion.

International exhibitors will showcase products and services from China, India, the UK and, for the first time, Germany, Azerbaijan and Switzerland, as more than 50 exhibitors from 10 countries line up to represent the key industrial segments of aluminium, machine tools, manufacturing, automation, steel, energy, logistics, ports and free zones.

Managing director Jubran Abdulrahman says following the success of GIF 2010, HCE is committed to ensuring the 2011 show is the most sector-relevant yet.

"The fact that the fair is already bigger than 2010 in terms of floor space is testimony not only to our commitment to introducing new concepts such as the industry pavilions, but also Bahrain's continued attraction as an excellent showcase location near major industrial areas in the Northern Gulf. In what remains a challenging global business environment the increased growth of GIF is tribute to the hard work of the HCE team."

For more information visit www.gulfindustryfair.com