The 17th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition to grow by 40 per cent

According to the organisers, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E), 75 per cent of the exhibition space has already been booked by leading international institutions of higher education, academic suppliers and providers.

'Dubai has emerged as the home to a highly-educated and financially prosperous workforce. Additionally, awareness levels on global trends in careers and education are growing in and around the region at a rapid pace. Parents would therefore like to ensure the best higher learning options for their child,' explains Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E. 'On the other hand, the city offers excellent logistical facilities for organising large scale exhibitions. In the past years, we have registered visitors from as far afield as the GCC countries, the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) region, the subcontinent and the Far East who have come to Dubai with the principal purpose of exploring GETEX.'

'The 16th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition was particularly successful in terms of the quality and number of students visiting the show. There has been a high conversion rate from enquiries to admissions. This is one of the biggest reasons that national pavilions and highly specialised institutions of higher learning are willing to invest in participation at the 17th GETEX,' says Godinho.

The 16th GETEX, held in April 2004, had registered 23,500 visitors, of which 86 per cent were parents and students. The show featured 365 institutions from 30 countries. The show was spread over a surface area of over 5,600 square metres.

The 17th GETEX will cover a surface area of approximately 8,000 square metres, a growth of 40 per cent as compared to the 16th show. The UK pavilion alone is expected to grow by an estimated 30 per cent. Italy will have a national pavilion for the first time in the show, indicating the increased interest among the Italian higher education sector in recruiting students from the Middle East. Similarly, both South Africa and Qatar will be consolidating their presence under national pavilions for the first time, underscoring the emerging importance of the Middle East talent pool for international universities and colleges. The European Union, which had a pavilion featuring Germany, the Netherlands and France at the 16th GETEX, has also booked space for a much larger pavilion at the forthcoming show. Current trends indicate that the European presence at the show is likely to grow by 30 per cent.

Meanwhile, at regional level, the Knowledge Village is set to flex its considerable education and training muscle with a larger pavilion at the 17th GETEX.

The show will focus on Higher Education; The Demand for MBA Courses; Training and Human Resources Management; IT and e-Learning; and Medical Education. The show will also have a special section on Materials and Technology supplied to the Education Industry.