BOOKINGS BOOST FOR TOP INDUSTRY FAIR

MANAMA: Exhibition space bookings for Gulf Industry Fair （GIF） are up 25 per cent compared to the same time last year, it was announced yesterday. Organisers Bahrain-based Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions （HCE） said they were receiving very positive feedback about the leading industry event for the northern Gulf.

Interest in GIF, which runs from January 18 to 20 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre （BIEC）, has been particularly strong from companies in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, looking to take advantage of the myriad opportunities offered in a region poised for remarkable industrial development over the next decade.

GIF 2011 will feature the key industrial segments of aluminium, machine tools, industrial equipment, manufacturing, automation, steel, energy, logistics and ports and free zones.

"Current indications suggest the 2011 show will eclipse 2010 in terms of booked space," said HCE managing director Jubran Abdulrahman.

"Gulf Industry Fair benefits from its close proximity to Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, the home of world-class hydrocarbons-based industries, petrochemical complexes, refineries, iron and steel manufacturing facilities and associated downstream industries and the focus of a massive investment surge over the next few years.

"This is a big opportunity for regional and international exhibitors aiming to raise their profile in Saudi Arabia," he said.

"The fair also benefits from government efforts to promote Bahrain as an industrial centre, through projects such as the Salman Industrial City development, which is attracting considerable inward investment in the kingdom," he said.

Already confirmed as a GIF 2011 Strategic Aluminium Partner for the second successive year is Alba, one of the world's largest aluminium smelters, and more industrial leaders are set to follow suit.

Running alongside GIF 2011 will be the second Gulf Industry Forum, to be held at the BIEC Conference Suite on January 19 featuring high-calibre speakers from across the industrial spectrum.