Official ground breaking ceremony for new DWTC extension

The ceremony, which took place yesterday, followed a recent announcement by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Finance Minister, to create additional exhibition space that will significantly increase facilities at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), currently the largest venue in the Middle East Region.

Scheduled for completion by the end of 2009, the additional halls, adjacent to existing Halls 1 through 4 of DICEC, will provide a total of one million square feet of covered exhibition space and will continue to attract more people to participate in exhibitions and events hosted by DWTC.

In the heart of Dubai's Commercial Business District (CBD), DICEC and the new extension will provide easy access for business and leisure travellers as the new metro Red Line opens its 'Dubai World Trade Centre' station this year, adjacent to the venue.

"We expect DWTC and the events sector to play a critical role during 2009 as a catalyst to boosting economic growth, while playing a major role in driving up visitor traffic to the entire region," said Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO Dubai World Trade Centre.

"The creation of additional hall space is an excellent example of how DWTC continues to proactively provide enabling infrastructure to support this growth. It is also in line with DWTC's strategy to ensure Dubai's status as the leading international hub for all exhibitions, conferences and events, hosting the largest shows across numerous sectors," Almarri added.

DWTC, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, will work with contractor Khansaheb Civil Engineering LLC and design agency Dar Al-Handasah to make this extension a reality.

The first contractor in the UAE, Khansaheb operates a Quality Management System certified to ISO 9001:2000, a safety management system certified to OHSAS 18001:1999 and provides high quality services in construction, joinery and interiors, ceilings and partitions, metal fabrication, building services, building products and facilities management.

Dar Al-Handasah is a renowned pioneering force in the planning, design and development of projects in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, specialising in planning, engineering, architecture, environment, project management and economics.

Almarri added, "Today's ceremony marks another significant step forward in DWTC's commitment to creating market leading exhibition facilities that are developed around the needs of the region. As we focus on setting the highest standards, our partnerships with Khansaheb Civil Engineering LLC and Dar Al-Handasah will allow us to create a world-class exhibition space that will considerably improve the infrastructure and capabilities of the region."

Mr. Tariq Khansahab, Member of the Board of Directors, Khansaheb Civil Engineering LLC said, "As a leading contractor, we have handled some of Dubai's most prestigious projects and fully realise the responsibility of delivering our projects on schedule and according to the industry's highest standards. We are proud to be working on the new Dubai World Trade Centre extension that will continue to ensure Dubai's leading position in the events industry."

DWTC's 2008 year-end results demonstrated continuous growth for the region's events industry, with many leading shows across a range of sectors.

According to UFI (the global association of the events industry), Dubai has become the most important exhibition hub in the Middle Eastern and African region, with a leadership position in a sector worth Dhs12bn a year. This new extension will enable DWTC to work towards sustaining and increasing their target of 1-1.5% contribution to Dubai's GDP.