Gulf Industry Fair 2009 takes off at Bahrain International Exhibition Centre

The event which is being staged at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre is being held under the patronage of Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

Speaking at the Press Conference before the show Ronnie Middleton, Managing Director of Al Hilal Group said:

"The MENA region in general and the Gulf region in particular is one of the few areas in the world which will post positive GDP growth in 2009. Ongoing investment in infrastructural and manufacturing projects will continue to provide opportunities for industrial related organisations at a time when elsewhere in the world, countries are experiencing contracting economies."

Mr Middleton continued "There is no doubt that the Gulf is not totally immune from the worldwide economic slowdown but whilst the financial meltdown has struck many markets globally and affected some Gulf Industrial Projects, sooner or later the projects planned for the region will be taken up, giving products and services providers future opportunities."

Bahrain's strategic location vis-à-vis the rest of the Gulf enables participants at the Gulf Industry Fair 2009 to reach prospective customers from the most important industrial market - Saudi Arabia.

Jubran Abdulrahman, Managing Director of Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions said: "Saudi Arabia is the Industrial Powerhouse for the Gulf region and with most of the Kingdom's industries based in the Eastern Province, the location of GIF 2009 in Bahrain provides an ideal venue for industrialists, factory managers, industrial technologists and decision makers to literally drive across the causeway to visit the show. Both Riyadh and Kuwait are also within easy access by road whilst excellent air links to and from the lower Gulf make access to the show extremely easy."

Visitors to GIF 2009 will be able see a range of industrial equipment and tools as well as meet with industry related service providers including leasing companies, telecommunications providers, port authorities and industrial area managers.

The exhibition will take place in Hall 1 of the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre and a major marketing campaign worth over $500,000 has been underway regionally and internationally to promote the Fair. As in 2008, a number of networking events will take place to ensure that exhibitors are able to meet with potential customers from the area.

For 2009, the organisers have added a further two segments to the profile. The Gulf Industry Fair now has a total of 10 components - Gulf Metal, Gulf Aluminium, Gulf Automation, Gulf Metrology, Gulf Energy, Gulf Logistics, Gulf Manufacturing, Gulf Machine Tools, Gulf Industrial Equipment and Industrial Areas, Ports and Free Trade Zones.