For three days at the end of September, 450 services and support personnel from the San-Francisco-based life science, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, forensics and food testing giant, PE Biosystems, gathered at the conference center at Dubai’s Jumeirah beach hotel for their biennial conference. In and of itself, the event was not extraordinary.
But it was notable for the fact that PE Biosystems has neither representation nor any other commercial interest in the UAE. What drew the PE Biosystems personnel to the UAE were the weather, its Arabian but altogether modern setting, and Dubai's infrastructural capability to cater to such a large gathering.
Indeed, the exhibition industry is one of the Middle East’s leading growth sectors. In Dubai alone, exhibitions, conferences and trade shows generate annual revenues of about $300 million. They also produce a host of indirect returns, such as tourism and related trade and economic activities.
The Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) is the dominant trade-show power in all of the Middle East and North Africa. It has been organizing events since 1979, and today it hosts more than 70 exhibitions and events annually.
In November 1999, DWTC assumed management of Airport Expo Dubai, an exhibition complex with more than 23,000 square meters of space. Since its inauguration, the Expo has successfully hosted two mega-events—the Dubai Air Show, which is the third largest showpiece for the aerospace industry in the world, and the largest-ever e-commerce conference ever held in the region, which was attended by 3,500 delegates.
But undoubtedly the most influential event run by DWTC is Gitex, the Middle East’s leading IT exhibition. More than 73,000 trade visitors attended the 20th holding of the trade show in October 2000, which provided a platform for numerous IT product launches in Middle Eastern markets and a large number of major announcements about new developments in the local information technology and communications sectors.
DWTC’s activities are not confined to the UAE, as it also organizes exhibitions in other Middle Eastern venues. Foremost among these is Gitex Cairo, the most recent of which was held in April at the Cairo International Conference Center. It attracted more than 30,000 traders, IT specialists and businesspeople. In addition, Gitex Cairo Computer Shopper, the retail partner that complemented the main event, attracted more than 40,000 visitors.
DWTC does not enjoy an uncluttered playing field. A number of Egyptian companies are involved in the exhibition sector, with the main player being the Arabian Group for Development (AGD), which since being founded in 1979 has organized 114 commercial exhibitions in Egypt and elsewhere. AGD’s focus is essentially Egypt-centric. Even its international exhibitions are organized to introduce foreign companies to the Egyptian market, and also to promote national goods and services for export.
Bahrain is also pushing to establish a reputation as a first-rate venue for major international conferences and exhibitions. It boasts and impressive infrastructure, with a comprehensive range of facilities, including the Bahrain International Exhibition Center, which over the years has become a favored venue for business-to-business and consumer events in the Gulf.
Oman is another Gulf country nurturing it reputation as an organizer and host of exhibitions and trade shows. Oman International Trade and Exhibitions (OITE) is a producer and manager of exhibitions on an international scale. Of late, the fairs committee of the Omani Chamber of Commerce and Industry has chosen to encourage exhibitions that promote investment opportunities in the sultanate, as opposed to shows aimed at the general public that advocate consumption. — (Albawaba-MEBG)
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
