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BUSINESS appears to be buzzing at the 2016 Gulf Industry Fair, the Northern Gulf’s leading specialist business-to-business industrial show, despite the challenging environment of falling oil prices and the introduction of belt-tightening measures across the region.
As many as 80 exhibitors representing products and services from 16 countries are in attendance at this year’s event which opened yesterday amid fanfare at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC).
Companies represented include industrial heavyweights such as Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), the Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (Asry), and cable manufacturer Ducab from the UAE.
Held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the three-day event promises plenty of deal-making, innovation and market-leading products on show for trade visitors.
This year’s fair clearly brings into focus the efforts by GCC states to diversify their economies away from dependence on oil. It provides a platform for companies to raise their profile and showcase their latest trends and innovations under the key industrial sectors of aluminium, industrial processes and manufacturing, metals, energy and environment, industrial facilities, ports & maritime, plus vocational training and safety.
As the Northern Gulf’s trade and logistics hub and a strategic manufacturing base for companies looking to access major regional markets like Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, Bahrain has for the past nine years proven to be the ideal venue for the fair.
This year, the exhibition’s organiser Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions (HCE) of Bahrain has introduced new features including an industry forum.
The Innovation in Industry forum is being held under the patronage of Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed Alzayani, and features case studies on developing innovative products.
Meanwhile, the biennial iTECH for Industry Awards will recognise the growing contribution of the ICT sector to industrial development.
The fair also features a dedicated careers day tomorrow, to help university students and graduates gain an understanding of careers in the industrial sector.
In addition, both Alba and Bapco will deliver workshops on projects they are delivering. The workshops give businesses a chance to understand the procurement requirements of Alba’s Line 6 expansion and Bapco’s energy projects.
The organisers have also built on the overwhelming success of the ‘Virtual Exhibition’ launched at last year’s fair. Offering interviews and information about participating companies, the Virtual Exhibition – available at www.gulfindustryfair.com – provides exhibitors with a further six months’ free marketing to the global online business community after the three-day show.
HCE managing director Jubran Abdulrahman says Gulf Industry Fair 2016 builds on the legacy left by previous editions. “We are grateful for the unwavering support of the Prime Minister, HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, in helping us establish the Gulf Industry Fair as the ‘go-to’ exhibition for companies operating in the Northern Gulf’s markets.
“This year’s show comes at a pivotal time for GCC economies, with low oil prices once again underlining the importance of industrial diversification. The fair will therefore reflect the strategic importance of industry, catering to the precise and changing needs not only of the exhibitors themselves but also our visitors.”
