Gulf Maritime exhibition - A promising start

Most of them are happy with the show so far, with quite a few of them having received serious enquiries on the first day of the show itself.

For instance, Mr Sashi O.V., Executive Manager of Al Shaali Marine is a very satisfied exhibitor at the show. "We have received 24 serious enquiries so far, which is definitely more than our money's worth. We are an Ajman (UAE) based company, manufacturing boats and crafts and selling them to the GCC, European and Asian markets." Speaking on the market, Mr. Shashi said, "The UAE is a lucrative market for boats, with the marine industry continuing to grow by leaps and bounds, mainly because of the government support."

Again, Mr Naveen Kumar, Assistant Sales Manager, of Gulf Craft Inc LLC said, "We have received 54 enquires so far and expect 20% to 30% of them to materialise in business deals. We are happy from the response we have received at the show despite the current war."

Also, Mr Alaa Eldin Mahmoud, Engine Business Manager of Cummins Diesel said, "Despite the war in the Middle East, we are confident to meet our targets primarily because of this exhibition, which has given us a good opportunity to interact with some potential customers. We are distributors for Cummins in the UAE, dealing in products for marine and industrial applications like marine main propulsion engines, marine generator sets, marine auxiliary drive engines, automotive diesel engines, construction engines, agriculture engines and locomotive engines. We have been doing good business in the GCC and other Middle East countries."

On the sidelines of the second day of the show (Tuesday 26th March) a number of leading commentators and suppliers from the industry conducted one hour product presentation seminars. These seminars proved a rich, worthwhile educational and networking experience for the show's participants. The speakers included Dr. Ahmed El Rabbany of the Ryerson University of Canada who spoke on 'The alternative solutions to differential GPS navigation'. Holding an Honorary Research Associate position at the University of New Brunswick and an Adjunct Professor position at York University, Dr Rabbany presented a number of GPS point positioning approaches. Also, Mr. Jamal S Abki of Grandweld (Part of GMMOS Group) took the audience through a presentation on 'Shipbuilding in the U.A.E.', a highly informative and educative insight into the shipbuilding industry in the UAE. Mr. Jamal pointed out that the UAE has a very good maritime infrastructure, and has a strong representation of the world's major manufacturers of ships, with many of the leading manufacturers selecting the UAE as their regional office. He further projected a strong demand for the ship-building industry, with significant increase in demand for work boats, crew boats, supply vessels, tugs etc.

Other speakers conducting seminars included Mr. Sergei Krstanvic on, 'Bureau Veritas and crew boats', Mr. Philbhert Suresh, of Translogistique Canada, Dubai, on 'Emerging logistics leadership : Mapping your skills and competence in the maritime industry', Mr. Tony Elms, Seastate Ride Control Australia, on 'Significance of seakeeping for ship operators, etc.

Gulf Maritime exhibition is a complete industry event, featuring the latest in design, building and equipping of all types of vessels from fishing, offshore support vessels, tankers, tugs, ferries, patrol boats and all types of cargo ships, ship repair and port operations products & services, cargo handling services etc.

The show has strong support on the governmental level, with sizable participation from organisations such as the Sharjah Ports Authority, the Dubai Dry Docks, Al Jaddaf and the Hamriya Free Zone.

Moreover, it has also received an enthusiastic response from international and local companies, with such reputed firms as Al Bahar, Al Fanar, Caterpillar, Cummins Diesel, Emirates Inflatable Boats, Exalto Emirates, Gulf Marinas, Gmmos Grandweld, Gulftainer Co. Ltd, Harris Pye, Inter Ocean Ship Repair, Radio Holland, Reintjes Middle East, Riviera Pool Middle East, Sea Spray Aluminium Boats, Sigma Paints, Teignbridge Propellers, ZF Marine Middle East, etc. confirming their participation.

The exhibition is open from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm up to 27 March, 2003.

ends