British firms plan to cash in on airport developments in Middle East

The extent of the British offering to the airport development sector will be highlighted by ten companies appearing under the banner of the British Airports Group in the three day exhibition, organised by Streamline Marketing and opening at Airport Expo Dubai on 7 June.

They include DABICO (Europe), a manufacturer of aircraft underground utility services pits which has already made good initial inroads into the Middle East market, supplying the hangar facilities at the airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Riyadh, as well as more than 300 airports, airbases and hangar facilities worldwide.

"New exhibitors like this are attracted by the fact that the event will bring them face to face with decision makers for airport projects worth an estimated $5.72 billion in the Middle East and North Africa," said Nick Webb, director of Streamline Marketing.

DABICO believes the Airport Build and Supply Exhibition can propel major regional business success for a range of products vital to day-to-day airport operations, including fuel hydrants, and electrical cables and aircraft connectors delivering preconditioned air, potable water, and lavatory servicing.

"We're new to the region but have been successful in the short time we have been involved," said managing director Ron Harding, founder and head of the European branch of DABICO.

"The Middle East is strategically important for us. We expect to achieve a degree of success equivalent to that which we have in North America and Europe."

Held under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai (DDCA) and chairman of Emirates Group, the exhibition is a top priority event for the British Airports Group, whose members are currently working on the most of the world's largest airport projects, from Beijing to Heathrow and Dubai.

Among the other companies it has assembled for the show's UK Pavilion is Alstom Power Conversion, which has installed lighting systems at more than 600 international airports, and will be showcasing a variety of new products in Dubai, including new runway and taxiway guidance signs.

Brintons, the world's largest manufacturer of high quality woven axminster carpet for terminal buildings, believes the exhibition will add to its list of major Middle East customers, which include the airports in Bahrain, Dubai, Dhahran and Riyadh.

With the amount of floor space taken up by the exhibition growing from 5,000sqm last year to 7,000sqm this year, the British contingent also includes Edmont Joinery, manufacturers of high specification fire doors, airfield lighting specialists Metalite Aviation, and National Air Traffic Services, the sole provider of en-route and oceanic air traffic services in the UK, which also provides air traffic services at all major UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester.