Saudi Healthcare and Saudi Hospital exhibition '08 is a success

SHASH attracted 7,235 business professionals, with registered visitors originating from throughout Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf States. Visitors included: importers, agents, distributors, surgeons, specialists, doctors, paramedics, nurses, hospital owners and administrators, as well as professionals and company executives from the pharmaceutical industry.

Over 120 leading Saudi companies from the healthcare and hospital sectors exhibited alongside international pavilions and individual participants from Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Pakistan and U.A.E, providing visitors with a wide array of displays featuring both existing and new to market products and services.

Many of the participating hospitals focused on Wellbeing, promoting their health facilities within this growing healthcare sector. A separate section of the exhibition totally dedicated to companies displaying physical fitness equipment and dietary foods reflected the increasing importance of the Wellbeing sector.

Exhibitors expressed delight at their participation with 85% achieving the primary purpose of participation (promotion of new goods and services), and 42% securing orders during the show.

Indonesia had the largest international participation with its pavilion exhibiting products and services of 14 companies with the support of National Agency for Export Department (NAFED), Ministry of Trade Indonesia.

'This is the fist time we are exhibiting our products and hospital equipment in Saudi Arabia and we are delighted with our participation and were able to establish good contacts during the show,' commented Arif Hariyanto from Centre of Market Development for Middle East & Africa, adding 'We have secured orders during SHASH and we are expecting more business from what is the largest market in the Region for healthcare.'

Styla Slr from Italy, showcased its wall protection systems presenting the new ecological Blend Lines 'EKOBLEND' certified F1 and Seberg 'Visual Communications'. Mr. Flaviano Milesi, Styla representative commented, 'I found our participation in the exhibition most rewarding as there have been numerous inquiries about our products and am satisfied with the nature of enquiries.'

Mr. Nashat Suleiman, of the Al Babtain Trading Company, was particularly pleased with the results, 'There were a lot of enquiries for our products at the show and we are confident to do good business as a result of our participation.'

With 84% of visitors claiming complete or partial authority to make purchasing decisions the exhibitors were very pleased with the quality and number of visitors, 93% of whom claimed to have totally or partially achieved the purpose of their visit of either seeking new products (30%) or placing orders (49%).

Held in parallel with SHASH'08 was a high profile symposium, conducted by the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, under license from the Saudi Council for Health Specialties, it provided delegates with 5 credit hours. Speakers, from both within the Kingdom and abroad covered topical subjects particularly pertinent to the Kingdom.

Mr. Hani M. Al Hassawi, Public Relations Manager for King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre - Jeddah, said, 'We have the pleasure to organise the symposium in collaboration with Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions, which was well attended, and to participate annually in SHASH. Each year it just gets better, it is really great to be here.'