Outstanding response to ENVIRONMENT 2007 promotional campaign

ENVIRONMENT 2007 will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, 28th - 31st January 2007 at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition & Conference Centre. The event is organised by GEC-AD (General Exhibitions Corporation - Abu Dhabi) and the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi.

"We are pleased with the excellent response we have received to our exhibitor promotion campaign. It is a matter of great pride that 80% of the total exhibit area has already been booked with more than a year to go until the event. This confirms that ENVIRONMENT 2007 is recognised as an unrivalled platform for environmental products, services and technology companies to tap the immense potential in the MENA market" said a spokesperson for GEC-AD.

MENA countries are expected to invest AED 16.5 to AED 22 billion ($4.5-$6 billion) annually on fresh water projects over the next 10 years. According to the World Bank, the UAE will invest at least AED 168 billion ($46 billion) over the next decade in environmental and pollution control projects. In addition, the UAE's estimated outlay for Solid Waste Management is AED 451 million ($123 million), Wastewater Treatment is AED 198 million ($54 million) and Medical Waste Disposal is AED 110 million ($30 million).

The project team for ENVIRONMENT 2007 is in the midst of an extensive exhibitor and visitor campaign via participation at various events in Germany, France, the UK and the Netherlands. Marketing agents have also been appointed in Europe, Asia and the US to assist in the promotional efforts.

ENVIRONMENT 2007 Exhibition & Conference will target over 375 exhibitors from around the world. The event will be the fourth in the series of exhibitions and conferences since the event was first initiated in 2001.

The previous edition, ENVIRONMENT 2005, was a huge success and attracted 338 exhibitors, from 41 countries. Over 10,000 visitors attended the show with the conference sessions attracting 1000+ delegates. The event also saw the signing of the 'Abu Dhabi Declaration on Sustainable Transportation' by more than 20 Environment Ministers from the Arab region.

Leading international organisations including the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), UNDP ((United Nations Development Programme), are supporting ENVIRONMENT 2007. ADNOC & its Group of Companies are the Main Sponsors, and ADWEA (Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority), Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Total and Shell are Co-sponsors of the event. Ettihad Airways is the official airline and Middle East Energy Magazine is the official publication for ENVIRONMENT 2007.