German newcomer eyes Dhs460 million gains from Middle East airport boom

Possehl Spezialbau made the forecast as the Airport Build & Supply Exhibition headed towards its conclusion today (Wednesday) after a record-breaking three days at Airport Expo Dubai.

Possehl, one of 47 German exhibitors at the three-day event, reported major interest in the company's Antiskid Surface Treatment system which has been designed to the highest international standards to provide aircraft safety at take take-off and landing.

The product has generated business worth 120 million Euros (Dhs556 million) from 130 airports across Europe, and the company now expects the Middle East to become a major new market. "We see potential for at least 100 million Euros (Dhs463 million) worth of business here," said Knut Ohloff, head of Possehl's airfield pavement construction services division.

Possehl, part of a group of companies comprising more than 50 subsidiaries and 4,700 staff in 20 countries around the world, has had positive discussions this week with airport authorities in the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and even Argentina.

"This week has shown just how important the event has become both to exhibitors from around the world, and to airport developers across the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and many other parts of the globe," said Laith Kubba, Director of the Streamline Marketing Group, the exhibition organisers.

The nature of the Airport business means that most exhibitors must wait to learn the value of their appearance at the exhibition, although many are anticipating multi-million Dirham contracts in the weeks and months ahead.

Earlier in the week UAE-based glazing specialist Emirates Glass received a major order stemming from its appearance at the 2003 Airport Build & Supply Exhibition. "That came from an Australian architect for a 67-storey tower on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai," said the company's technical and training manager, Arthur Millwood.

"It shows that you never know where the business might come from when you're taking part in an exhibition like this. We're here again planting the seeds."

The Airport Build & Supply Exhibition was held under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai and Chairman of Emirates Group.

Swedish manufacturer Combi Box confidently expects to build on a multi-million Dirham business in the Middle East for its integrated fixed underground support system providing a range of aircraft services. "The market here is increasing and the prospects for us are very good," said the company's president, Lief Lindh.

A series of seminars held as part of the exhibition turned the spotlight this week on many of the airport development and expansion projects worth more than US$20 billion currently taking place in the Gulf.

These included the US$4.1 billion revamp of Dubai International Airport, the US$5 billion New Doha International Airport, the new US$272 million Jebel Ali Airport and the US$6.8 billion redevelopment of Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Each of the 303 airport and aviation suppliers - a 50 per cent increase on last year - had pre-arranged meetings with the relevant project manager, engineer or architect in the Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai enabling them to discuss the Dubai and Jebel Ali airport expansions.

They also had opportunities to discuss airport developments with visiting senior officials from civil aviation authorities in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, Tanzania and India, as well as representatives from airports in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Amman, Beirut, Tehran, Lahore, Islamabad and Nagpur in India.