Retail Middle East Exhibition opens at Expo Centre Sharjah

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdullah Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ports Authority, Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Mr. Saif Al Midfa, Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah, and officials of various government departments, and members of the diplomatic corps and trade associations.

The three-day RME is featuring more than 75 brands from Germany, Italy, Singapore, UK, China, India, and the UAE. Among the major participating brands are Kingsmen, Avion, Tensator, Mainetti, Polaris, Wanzl, and Prisma.

Displays at the exhibition includes retail concepts, shop fittings and store equipment, visual merchandising, signages, POP, store design, retail technology and equipment, logistics and security systems.

"The Retail Middle East Exhibition is aimed at providing the Middle East retail industry with a competitive edge, especially at this time of rapid growth and intense competition in the sector," said Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of SCCI, after the opening ceremony.

"The event, besides equipping the regional retailer with the tools to push profits in an accelerating market, will provide an insight in to the changing trends including the latest technological developments taking place in the retail sector globally," he added.

The GCC region's retail space is set to reach 6 million m2 in 2007, according to Mr. Simon Thomson, an international retail consultant based in the UK.

Currently, Dubai with approximately 1.3 million m2, is at the forefront in terms of retail space in the region.

A major highlight of this year's RME is the Retail Conference being held alongside on April 16, 2007. It will be addressed by leading experts in the global retail industry and will focus on several important issues including global retail trends.

"Given the boom, regional retailers have no other option but to adopt new concepts, technologies, and strategies to stay ahead in the race," said Mr. Saif Al Midfa, Director General, Expo Centre Sharjah.

"The RME exhibition is not only a vital sourcing avenue with a global perspective for Middle East-based retailers but also a platform that addresses several crucial issues and concerns of the regional retail sector," he added.

The Retail Conference features several well-known names in the global retail sector including Mr. Naseem Javed, President of ABC Nameback International in Toronto and New York, Mr. Volkan Keskinoglu, President of Turkey chapter of POPAI, and Mr. Mohit Oberoi, Senior VP and Business Head of Polaris Retail Infotech.

Mr. Naseem Javed, who is an authority on corporate image and creation of new icons and identities, will speak on Retail revolution and Image leadership. Mr. Volkan Keskinoglu will focus on Impact on ROI due to concept integration at POS, and Mr. Mohit Oberoi will throw light on how IT can be leveraged for master business dynamics.

Given the unique and exclusive profile, the RME exhibition will attract a large number of trade visitors from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, particularly potential franchisees, architects, designers, consultants brand managers, retail shop owners and retail industry professionals.

The RME exhibition and the Retail Conference is being organised by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of Point-Of-Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) and the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).