MEMEX provides platform for new wave of Middle East manufacturers and suppliers as demand for machinery and tools grows 22% annually
A new industrial revolution sweeping through the region comes under the spotlight next week at the launch of the Middle East Manufacturing Exhibition.
MEMEX - which takes place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on 9 -12 December 2007 - is the region’s premier manufacturing sector trade show. Exhibitors from 11 countries including Germany, Belgium, UK, Italy, Taiwan, Korea, China, Iran, India and the United Arab Emirates will be taking part.
The huge expansion of the economies of the Arabian Gulf is stimulating soaring investment in domestic manufacturing. Most Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries are reducing economic dependence on oil and gas by setting up industrial zones to stimulate growth in manufacturing. According to the latest statistics, the total value of all non-oil and gas industrial projects in the region already exceeds US$115 billion.
Abu Dhabi is amongst them, with work well underway on a multi-billion dollar programme for a series of industrial cities offering huge incentives such as 100 per cent foreign ownership and tax free status. Abu Dhabi’s Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones – ZonesCorp – is also a key sponsor of MEMEX.
Not to be outdone, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are all boosting their non-oil and gas manufacturing sectors.
Trevor Punt, Group Exhibition Director of IIR Middle East, organisers of MEMEX, said regional manufacturing is currently recording annual growth rates in excess of 22 per cent. He added: “A new wave of manufacturers are providing machinery and tools for industries related to construction, shipbuilding, metals, infrastructure, power generation, retail and food to name only a few.
“What is taking place is a regional industrial revolution and bringing hard-to-reach influential customers and manufacturers with new products or services together at the same place, at the same time, is the main objective of MEMEX,” said Punt.
The main sectors at MEMEX include machinery and machine tools; process control and instrumentation; welding, joining and heat treatment; automation and the IT sector.
For more on MEMEX, please visit:
