Signing of multi-million dollar deals and unveiling of latest technology marks OGS 2005

The success of OGS 2005 can be ascertained by the several multi-million dollar deals that were signed at the event, the new technologies and products that were unveiled and the major increase in exhibitor and visitor participation at the three-day exhibition.

"OGS 2005 has crossed all expectations in terms of participation, technology showcased, partnerships signed and business conducted." The show generated tremendous interest among participants and showcased a range of technologically advanced products and services targeted at the oil and gas industry. The networking opportunities that the show presented were fully utilized by the participants, who were keen on strategically tapping the Middle Eastern markets."

said Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E, organizers of the event.

The appointment of Saudi Pan Gulf (SPG) as the exclusive agent and distributor for KUKA Valve Manufacturing Company Limited in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was one of the main highlights of the event. SPG was also appointed as KUKA's non-exclusive authorised agent for the Gulf countries and Syria, Jordan, Iran, Lebanon and Yemen. With this appointment, SPG will purchase the KUKA brand ball valves and promote and sell them in these markets.

"SPG participated in OGS 2005 with the primary objective of strengthening our market position in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to tap the potential of other key markets of the Middle East and North Africa," said Hussam Sallout, General Manager, Saudi Pan Gulf. "Our partnership with KUKA, Korea's largest valve manufacturing company, will help us consolidate our presence in Saudi Arabia, as KUKA's products are known for its quality and precision."

"OGS 2005 has lived up to its reputation of being the premier event for the oil and gas industry in the region. The organisers have once again done a commendable job in ensuring the success of the show," added Sallout.

Among the range of hi-tech products that were unveiled at OGS 2005, was the C-Dialog welding machine from Lorch. The stand-out feature of the C-Dialog is that it requires only one switch to operate. Once the material and shielding gas to be used are specified, the C-Dialog will automatically set up all other parameters using the state-of-the-art MIG-MAG technology. Welding current and wire feed speed can be controlled directly from the PowerMaster torch and are optimised for the different welding joints. The best settings for each individual joint can be saved and reactivated from a switch on the torch, in the required sequence. Emirates Industrial Gases Co. (EIGC), a major UAE based gas company will be the local distributor for Lorch's products in the UAE.

EIGC is a leading producer and distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, and its operations include a wide range of products, technologies and related systems in addition to an exhaustive range of welding equipment and accessories. As a single window supplier, EIGC caters to the needs of diverse industries like oil & gas, hospitals, food & beverages, shipping, steel plants, fabrication units and an entire gamut of areas where gas applications are prevalent.

Saudi Aramco, the world leader in crude oil production, participated in OGS 2005 to leverage the networking platform offered at the show to meet its requirements for highly-skilled human resources. During the show, the company highlighted the facilities and incentives it provides its employees, in addition to showcasing its technologically advanced operations.

Airblast, the Holland based blasting and painting supplies company also had a successful participation in OGS 2005, with the company entering into several fruitful discussions with potential partners on deals worth millions of dollars.

Nick Smith, Managing Director, Airblast said, "The Middle East offers excellent business opportunities for us, we are committed to providing the best service to our customers from our offices in Dubai and Saudi both established over twenty years ago. Our participation at OGS helped us establish relations with representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE, and promote our eco friendly blasting and painting solutions. We are happy with the outcome of our participation in OGS 2005 and look forward to forthcoming editions of the event."

Euroblast, which operates in the field of surface preparation and finishing industry catering to the growing needs of blast cleaning abrasives and equipment, said they expect significant orders to realize in the near future as a result of their many positive interactions with key visitors at the exhibition, while existing clients also agreed to raise their orders. The Euroblast stand at OGS attracted a significant number of visitors, particularly from Russia and the Middle East countries.

OGS 2005, supported by the UAE Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, brought together over 300 exhibitors from 30 countries, including UK, Canada, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Malaysia, Iran, Germany, China and the UAE. This year, OGS also featured the Arab Instrumentation & Automation (AIA) Show, which saw a comprehensive display of technology for instrumentation, control and automation professionals. AIA is an international gathering that enabled suppliers to meet, demonstrate and sell to a diverse selection of industry buyers from all over the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Sub continent.