Closing the Gulf: Dubai Is Region's Tradeshow Hub

The tradeshow business appears to be booming in the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven former sheikhdoms where Arabic is the official language but English is widely spoken. Dubai, one of the emirates, last year was host to 84 tradeshows, more than any other Middle Eastern destination. Most were held at the Dubai Intl. Exhibition Centre.

British firms dominate Dubai's competitive landscape. IIR Exhibitions produces seven annual events there, including the 30-year-old Middle East Electricity, which draws 661 exhibitors and 17,000 attendees each year. According to organizers, Gulf states will need to invest $150 billion in the near term to meet the demand for electricity.

London-based Fairs & Exhibitions produces three events from its Dubai office, including the 8-year-old Dubai Air Show, which last December drew more than 25,000 attendees from 84 countries to the Dubai Intl. Airport. Exhibitors represented most of the world's major aerospace companies. Furthermore, organizers say $6 billion worth of orders were signed at the show, which is supported by the emirate's civil aviation department and the UAE's Armed Forces.

Dmg world media, a subsidiary of British media company Daily Mail and General Trust, is also active in the region. Its four Dubai shows include Index Dubai, which last September drew about 33,000 attendees and 1,300 exhibitors; building and construction show Big 5, which attracted 27,000 attendees and 1,500 exhibitors; Office Exhibition, which drew 4,300 attendees; and the Hotel Show, which drew 5,640 attendees and 306 exhibitors.

The company reported that attendance at the four shows together increased by approximately 15 percent over the past year. "Exhibitors from all over the world are keen to explore business opportunities in the region, taking advantage of the many prestigious projects in the UAE and other countries of the Middle East," said Bernard Walsh, managing director of dmg world media Dubai.

Walsh credited the "visionary policies of the government" for providing a fertile environment for exhibitions. It is not uncommon for General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai, to officiate at tradeshow openings in his kingdom. Other government leaders are also frequently present.

The UAE is part of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council, which also includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. It has long prided itself as the gateway to the Middle East.

A big part of Dubai's success can be chalked up to accessibility. Dubai Intl. Airport is undergoing a $4.1-billion expansion that will allow it to accommodate 60 million annual passengers by 2006. Just two years before starting the latest project in 2002, the airport completed a $540-million expansion.

Other show producers also tout the benefits of Dubai. Jerry Kallman, director of Kallman Global Consulting, said tradeshows in Dubai are more sophisticated than elsewhere in the Middle East. His company produced a tradeshow called Arab Health there in January.

"Dubai is the most important regional trading hub in the Middle East," notes local organizer INDEX Conferences & Exhibitions on its Web site, describing the emirate as "a truly international business center of global significance."

INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions specializes in medical shows. This year, the company plans 14 different tradeshows and conferences catering to different medical specialties. Seven of the events were collocated.

But INDEX is not the only homegrown show producer operating in Dubai. Al Fajer Information & Services is responsible for Freezex, a biennial conference and exhibition on free-trade zones held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Al Fajer recently succeeded in convincing the World Federation of Free Zones to collocate its annual conference with Freezex.

Besides Freezex, Al Fajer also produces two twice-yearly shows, Tekno7 and ArabPlast; and three biennial tradeshows, the Intl. Equine Exhibition, PaperArabia, Shipport Arabia and Transexpo.

Another local outfit, Channel Exhibitions, produces Middle East Exclusive, which caters to the duty-free market; and the Premium gift show.

Germany gained some representation in the region when Messe Frankfurt acquired the 4-year-old Intl. EPOC, short for Intl. Exhibitions, Promotions, Organising and Conferences. The new company, called EPOC Messe Frankfurt, produces Autotec, Hardware & Tools, Houseware & Hometech, Materials Handling & Distribution and Toy Fair. All are held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.