ArabLab the Expo, the annual trade show for the laboratory and instrumentation industry in the Middle East, is gearing up for its 2006 edition with a 40 per cent expansion in floor space. The exhibition will be held from February 13-16, 2006 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (DIEC).
ArabLab, with its 20-year history, is one of the industry's leading exhibitions and is the only international trade fair dedicated to laboratory equipment and instrumentation in the MENA region. This year, the show has expanded its exhibitor base to cater to demand for technology and implements generated by high profile projects in the fields of health, biotechnology and environmental science in the region.
ArabLab 2006 is segregated into specialized pavilions for biotechnology, instrumentation, laboratory equipment, automation, robotics and diagnostics, providing buyers dedicated platforms for sourcing the latest manufacturing and instrumentation products and keeping abreast of new technologies.
A key driver of the Arab Lab trade platform is the large number of high-profile projects in the medical science and pharmaceuticals industries in the region. Dubiotech, the multi-million dollar biotechnology research facility announced at the last installement of ArabLab and expected to cover in excess of 30 million square metres of space to house leading firms from across the globe, is set to evolve into a regional nexus of biotechnological and medical research, and is spurring demand for bleeding-edge biotechnological implements. Dubiotech has stepped up as lead patron for ArabLab’s BIOLAB sector as part of its commitment to further biotechnology research and foster education, training and industry support in the region. Research and development initiatives have also kicked off region-wide, and the medical science and healthcare sectors throughout the Middle East are experiencing significant growth following modernisation programmes and increased private participation in the health sector. The Egyptian government, for instance, is upgrading its health sector, supported by funding from the African Development Bank, European Commission, USAID and the World Bank.
David Domoney, Managing Director, THE DOMUS GROUP, organizers of ArabLab said, “The region has evolved as a hotspot of investment in medical and environmental sciences, as Middle Eastern countries advance their medical sectors commensurately with economic advances in other areas. Yet the region is still reliant on instruments and pharmaceutical equipment imported from other countries. The UAE market for medical equipment, second only to Saudi in the region, has grown at 10 percent per annum for the last three years, and market demand is met mostly through imports from the USA, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Sweden and Japan. Arab Lab serves as the definitive trade platform that not only allows exhibitors to raise the profile of their offerings, but also establishes much-needed trade links, allowing local concerns to source instruments and implements at competitive rates.”
The total value of Dubai’s pharmaceutical imports was about AED 911.4 million in 2003 with an increase of 21.6% compared to 2002. Exports were lower at AED 37.1 million despite an increase by 52.5%, while re-exports increased by 37.1% to a value of AED 84.1 million.
The pharmaceuticals industry is considered to be one of the largest international industries, as world consumption of medicines exceeds US$300 billion annually. The GCC Arab countries, forming 4.5% of the world population, consume about $4.5 billion per annum in medicine. The UAE tops the list of Gulf and the other Arab countries in annual per capita consumption of medicines. While an individual spends on average $52 in the Gulf countries and $20.3 in the other Arab countries on medicines, an individual in the UAE spends about $80 a year.
“The Middle East’s health, medical and pharmaceutical sectors are progressing rapidly, though they still have a way to go before they become internationally recognized. ArabLab is expanding commensurately with the industry it serves with a 40 percent expansion over its previous instalment. The 2006 edition will host 800 international exhibitors and we are expecting 7500 plus visitors from over 70 countries. Newly introduced sectors in 2006 will address pertinent regional medical and scientific concerns and hopefully play an important role in furthering the region’s progress in medical, environmental and biotechnological needs,” Domoney concluded.
