Inaugural Building Futures Gulf by BATIMAT gets off to an impressive start

The major building industry trade show features 225 international and regional building industry players from 26 countries.

The show is being held April 20-23, 2008 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and is organised by Reed Exhibitions Middle East with the support and participation of the International Union of Architects (UIA) and the UAE Contractor's Association.

Leading international names such as Saint Gobain Glass, Knauf, AFICO-Owens Corning, Technal, AMC Protection-Siplast, Dow Corning, Somfy, KME, Kingspan and Corus, and major local and regional companies including Tabreed, Emirates Iron & Steel, Unibeton and Emirates International Investment Company are showcasing their products at the show.

"UAE is witnessing an economic boom which is being reflected in the building and construction industry and such events are key to supporting the industry and the economic diversification of the government. The concept of this exhibition is new and it is important to support these initiatives. Abu Dhabi Municipality is pleased to support the event,"

said H.E Engineer Al Junaibi said after inaugurating the exhibition.

Frederic Theux, President of Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said that Reed is proud to bring such events to the local and regional markets which comes at a time that the whole region is witnessing a major boom in all aspects of the industry and its related fields. Given the current wave of new real estate developments in the UAE and the Middle East region, we believe that the building industry is ready to look at the benefits of incorporating high-performance features, which result in saving long-term operating costs. High-performance buildings are also equally important for the end-user.

The opening day of BUILDING FUTURES GULF by BATIMAT also witnessed the inauguration of the International Architects Conference featuring top international experts. The presentations and discussions at the conference cover a wide variety of topics including the concept of wholelife value of buildings, environmentally sustainable construction techniques, as well as other key issues confronting the Middle East building industry from an architectural stand-point.

The conference, coupled with a number of seminar sessions being held in parallel with the exhibition, are expected to provide insights on current topics and future trends in the industry including energy efficiency, sustainable building performance, the 'wholelife value' of buildings and environmentally sustainable construction techniques.

The conference which is themed around "Fair Practices in the Building Sector" is being addressed by a panel of experts comprising world renowned architects from the UK, Colombia, Nigeria, France, Italy, Turkey, Tunisia, Australia, UAE, Lebanon and Greece.

The exhibitors are showcasing the latest innovations aimed at enhancing building performance, including those focused on climate control, façade, structure and intelligence - all key aspects of modern building construction.

The umbrella event includes Structure Gulf Exhibition (focussing on structural technologies and implementation techniques); Envelope Gulf Exhibition (solutions for cladding, façade, joinery and shutters); Intelligent Building Gulf Exhibition (solutions, systems and networks to improve user comfort inside a building); and HVAC Gulf Exhibition (thermal comfort solutions focusing on temperature and air control, energy, plumbing and water treatment).

BUILDING FUTURES GULF by BATIMAT targets property developers and owners, architects, engineers, consultants, dealers and contractors. A dedicated services area is also provided for companies offering services and solutions. ALCTRA Middle East from Lebanon, a specialised consultant offering noise and vibration reduction solutions, and Glass Market consultancy from Holland are among the companies who will be located in the services area.

"Reed is very pleased to present BUILDING FUTURES GULF by BATIMAT. The event has been designed to provide a comprehensive look at the building sector via the specialised platform of the four shows which focus on key aspects of modern building construction encompassing the technical, energy-related, economic, environmental and safety aspects,"

said Leonard Lecoq, Show Manager, BUILDING FUTURES GULF by BATIMAT.

"We believe the event comes at just the right time for the Middle East with the region's building sector maturing quickly and emphasis shifting to a focus on ensuring building performance and sustainability. The relevance of such an event to the market is reflected in the tremendous response we have received to the show," he added.

The 26 countries represented at the show include France, the UK, the US, Germany, India, China, Italy, Belgium, Taiwan, Sweden, Kuwait, Hungary, Russia Canada, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Bahrain, Qatar and Turkey. China has hosted a country pavilion in the Structure Gulf Exhibition focused primarily on marble and stone, besides other sectors. Another pavilion showcases Italian expertise in the HVAC sector, organised in collaboration with Mostra Convegno Expocomfort - the biennial international exhibition that is the world's largest in the HVAC sector.

Another attraction at the show is the Turkish pavilion focussing on the Structural and Envelope elements of buildings, organised by IMMIB (Istanbul Mineral & Metal Exporter's Association). Pavilions from Kuwait and Taiwan are showcasing general construction solutions.

"Abu Dhabi is the ideal venue in the Middle East for BUILDING FUTURES GULF by BATIMAT. Mega projects that are in the pipeline such as the Warner Bros. and Ferrari theme parks, the Louvre and Guggenheim museums, the Central Market and Capital Centre property developments are but a few examples that highlight Abu Dhabi's position as one of the most dynamic construction markets in the region", pointed out Lecoq. A report by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) states that over $850bn will be invested in the Abu Dhabi construction market in the coming years.

BUILDING FUTURES GULF by BATIMAT also features the Business Meeting Programme (BMP) which enables visitors to log on to the event website and set up meetings with exhibitors, thereby serving as an ideal business platform at the show.

Besides the Architects Conference, the Structure Gulf Exhibition features Ecosmart Seminars which focus on the use of high-quality concrete that improves concrete durability, especially under extreme conditions typical in the region. The Envelope Gulf Exhibition is hosting TBC Seminars featuring presentations focusing on building envelope and joinery. The Intelligent Building Group (IBG) is hosting the Intelligent Living Forum, with presentations about intelligent building solutions and energy performance. Seminars are also being hosted by Carrier and the Istanbul Mineral and Metals Exporter's Association (IMMIB).