German news in the GCC

German Architects design Dubai Sports City

Architects Gerkan, Marg & Partners, based in Hamburg, will design four sports stadiums and a hotel for Dubai's future Sports City that stretches over a desert area of 4.6 million square meters.

The contract includes the construction of a cricket stadium with a capacity of 25,000 to 30,000 seats, a multi-purpose stadium with athletics track for rugby and soccer for 25,000 to 30,000 spectators and a closed arena for various sports events and for concerts catering for up to 10,000 spectators. Completion is scheduled for 2006.

Under a another contract signed with ACICO, Emirates Aerated Concrete, the architects will design a five-star luxury high-rise hotel in Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, with 500 rooms ranging from generous standard rooms to 300m² large presidential suites.

The 45.000 m² gross floor area of the building are stretched over 52 floors. With a width of only 18 metres and a total height of almost 200 metres the building with its slender elegance will stand out from the other buildings in the boulevard. Completion is planned in 2007.

Record German participation in Big 5 Show

A total of 160 German companies - more than ever - will take part in the annual Big 5 Show taking place from 20 to 24 November 2004 in Dubai. The Big 5 is the largest trade event for the construction industry in the Gulf, combining 5 major exhibitions under one roof.

More than 27,000 key buyers and decision-makers from the public and private sectors attended the 2003 event, along with architects, technicians and contractors. Main features, apart form the Building and Construction sector, this year are:

- Water Technology
- Air Conditioning
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Glass & Metal
- Bathrooms and Ceramics

The Big 5 is supported by the UAE Ministry of Electricity & Water, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the journals Gulf Construction and Arab Water World.

DZT in the Gulf

Germany's National Tourist Office (DZT) has opened an Agency in Dubai's World Trade Centre in partnership with Lufthansa (Address: German National Tourist Office, c/o Lufthansa, World Trade Centre, 15th Floor, P.O. Box 9224, Dubai).

It is the 29th Agency DZT has set up internationally, the purpose of which is to market Germany as a tourist destination.

Germany is currently welcoming a steadily growing number of visitors from the Gulf region. The number of overnight stays of GCC guests in Germany rose by 22.6 per cent in the first six months of 2004 to 172,000.

Munich-Dubai Non-stop

Lufthansa will provide daily non-stop flights from Munich to Dubai from 31 October 2004. It will use Boeing 747 aircraft, thus making additional passenger seats available.

Thierry Antinori, Marketing and Sales Director of Lufthansa Passage Airlines: 'Due to the excellent cooperation between DTCM and Lufthansa, the number of travellers to and from Dubai has risen significantly.'

German Center Dubai

A local investor will complete a 'German Center' in Dubai by the end of 2005, which will serve as a focal point for German trade and industry activities in the Gulf.

Main tenant of the new Center will be the Delegate of the German Commerce, represented by Dr. Juergen Friedrich. Dr. Friedrich: 'The German Center Dubai will be an ideal basis for German companies planning to set up business in the region.'

Frankfurt Book Fair and Arab World

The participation of around 150 publishers and more than 350 authors and other cultural workers representing 19 Arab countries as Guest of Honour 'Arab World' made a great contribution to the success of this year's Frankfurt Book Fair held from 6th to 10th October.

Book Fair President Volker Neumann summing up the outcome of the event: 'With hundreds of readings, discussions, exhibitions and concerts, the Guest of Honour has succeeded in providing a wide-ranging glimpse on the heterogeneous cultures of the Arab world. This was an important beginning of a comprehensive inter-cultural dialogue.'

The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world's biggest book show. The presence of 6,691 exhibitors (+1 per cent) from 110 countries in October 2004 confirmed the positive trend of the previous year.

Siemens Power Generation

The Power Generation section of Siemens has won contracts in Saudi Arabia worth EUR120 million. In Ridadh, Siemens will supply a gas turbine power station turn-key for the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC-COA).

The hand-over is scheduled for autumn 2005. Saudi Arabia's National Contracting Company (NCC) Al Khobar, has ordered three gas turbines from Siemens. On behalf of SEC South, NCC is extending two existing gas turbine power stations in Bisha and Asir, some 800 km South of Riyadh.