Gulf Industry Fair draws top global firms

The Gulf Industry Fair is firmly established in the calendar for many companies.   Jeddah - Arabstoday   The growing success of Gulf Industry Fair (GIF) is a statement about the healthy confidence in the industrial sector in the GCC, says Jubran Abdulrahman, managing director of Hilal Conferences and Exhibition (HCE) The Gulf Industry Fair is firmly established  in the calendar for many
 companies as the regions premiere industrial exhibition.
The 2012 show already boast an increase in companies and agencies to be showcased at the Exhibition taking place at Bahrain International Exhibition Center from Feb. 7 to 9.
Despite the challenging global economic conditions, the Gulf’s bold industrial ambitions remain undented. Investors — both local and international — continue to demonstrate their faith in a region predicted to witness major investment over the next decade where governments, aiming to boost the non-oil contribution of their economies, are proceeding with multi-billion dollar industrial investment programs..
As investor confidence in the region remains, this renewed confidence in the Bahrain and Northern Gulf has been seen in the take-up for the GIF in 2012
High-level strategic support for the fair, continues provided by Bahrain’s National Oil & Gas Authority (Noga) in association with the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco); Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), one of the world’s largest aluminum smelters; British Offset and The General Organization of Sea Ports Bahrain (GOP), Bahrain’s maritime regulator.
Supporting organizations for 2012 are Bahrain Chamber of Commerce, British Expertise, German Arab Chamber, The Gulf Aluminium Council and Machinery Trade International
Jubran Abdulrahman adds: “For this year’s show, we have developed and built upon the successful aspects of the 2011 Fair. This has resulted in the HCE creating strong sector zones.”
The result of this development is the formation in the show of an Aluminum Zone, Ports & Logistics Zone and an Energy Zone within the Gulf Industry Fair.
The Aluminum Zone is led by Alba one of the world’s leading aluminum smelters.
Leading on from the upstream Aluminum Sector, the zone features the downstream aluminum industry available not just from Bahrain.
Healthy growth forecasts for global aluminum demand is expected to lead to new business opportunities going forward.
In the zone, leading companies such as ITSS, Garmco, Balexco, Midal Cables, BRC Welmesh, Metals of Bahrain, BRAMCO, Bahrain Creative Aluminium, Amiri Industries and Turk Mechanical will feature their products.
The Aluminum Zone at Gulf Industry Fair carries with it further endorsement from the Gulf Aluminum Council.
“The Gulf Industry Fair is considered by the GAC as part of our ongoing strategy to highlight the GCC as an aluminum hub. The GCC’s importance in the aluminum sector is growing year on year with the expansion of smelters in the region aand the growing downstream sector built on this increased production,” said Mahmood Daylami , secretary-general of GAC.
“As Gulf economies are further diversified away from oil and gas, the aluminum industry is assuming ever greater importance,” said ITSS executive director Ali Najjar.
“For many years the Gulf had only two smelters [Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) and Dubai Aluminium (Dubal)]. Today, there are six, with other aluminum-related projects on the horizon. These present tremendous opportunities,” he added.
Gulf Industry Fair’s other specialist zones have lalso attracted equally strong support.
The Energy Zone, besides the support of the National Oil and Gas Authority, has drawn support from Hidd Power, Tabodin, Ahmed Al-Kuwaiti and global energy players such as Chevron and Skaugen Gulf.
The Ports and Logistics Zone is spearheaded by the General Organization of Sea Ports of Bahrain, and Bahrain Logistics Zone, Arabian Ship Repair Yard (ASRY) and Baytek Industrial Zone.