Second edition of SteelFab opens at Expo Centre Sharjah

The ceremony was attended by the Indian Ambassador to UAE, H.E. Chandra Mohan Bhandari, and Indian Consul General at Indian Consulate General in Dubai, H.E. Y.K. Sinha. Both of them later visited the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) of India stand at the show.

Others who were present on the occasion were Mr. Mohammed Salem Al Mosharrekh - Board Member (SCCI), Mr. Fasahat Ali Khan - Acting Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah, directors of various government departments, and members of the diplomatic corps and trade associations.

The three-day event, which is in its second edition this year, is an exclusive trade platform for manufacturers and distributors of machine tools, machinery, consumables and other items related to the steel working business.

Organised by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the exhibition is the largest display of Steel, Fasteners, Accessories, Surface Preparation, Machinery and Tools, Welding and Cutting, Finishing and Testing equipment, and Coatings and Anti-Corrosion material in the Middle East.

"The Middle East Steel Working industry is currently experiencing exponential growth due to several factors including high oil prices, a booming construction sector, as well as fast paced industrialization in the region," said Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa after the inauguration ceremony.

"The hosting of an event like SteelFab, which has established itself as a solid one-stop trade platform that is capable of fulfilling the complete requirements of the regional steel working industry, at such a juncture assumes special significance," he added.

In the Middle East, the Oil & Gas sector is the largest revenue earning sector with spending on infrastructure, refurbishment and new investments requiring an estimated USD $ 500 billion. The sector consumes huge tonnage of steel in the fabrication of rigs, tanks, pipelines, pressure vessels, and platforms.

The demand for steel in the region's construction sector too has been rising steadily. In the UAE particularly, several major projects are currently on including Dubailand, Burj Dubai, Palm Island Projects, Dubai Mall, Dubai International Financial City, and Dubai Healthcare City. Spending on development projects is estimated at USD $ 81 billion over the next ten years.

In 2001, UAE imported steel worth USD $ 883 million worth of steel. In 2005, the figure is estimated to have risen to USD $ 1500 million.

Along with steel, the demand for machine tools too has been going up in the region. In 2005, the GCC is estimated to have imported USD $ 943.45 million worth of Special Industrialized Machines, Machine Tools with Removal of Materials, Machine Tools without Material Removal, Metal Machine Tools - Parts, and Metal Working Machinery. UAE's share of it was over USD $ 500 million.

Besides the GCC states, Iran, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon are estimated to have imported USD $ 1,736.90 million worth of machine tools during this period.

"SteelFab is an ideal market entry vehicle for global steel working companies that are keen to foray in to the region's booming steel working sector," said Mr. Fasahat Ali Khan, Acting Director General, Expo Centre Sharjah.

"The show due to its very exclusive and unique profile attracts focused trade visitors from across the region including fabrication yard managers, production managers, procurement managers, estimators, planning and design engineers. In other words, the event helps connect global steel working companies with key decision makers in the regional steel working sector," he added.

SteelFab '06 features 212 brands and companies from 29 countries including from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (ROC), Turkey, UAE, UK, Ukraine,
and USA.

Besides showcasing some of the most reputed brands in the steel working industry from across the world, the event also features 74 companies as direct participants from 17 countries including the dedicated platform by India's EEPC.

EEPC was set up in 1955 under the sponsorship of the Government of India's Ministry of Commerce for export promotion of engineering goods, projects and services from India.

The Council has a membership of nearly 12,000 companies including large Corporate Houses, Star Trading Houses, Small & Medium Scale Units (SME), among others. Of the total membership, approximately 60% constitutes the SMEs.

India's Engineering Exports had shot up from USD $ 10.84 million in 1956-57 to USD $ 1 billion in 2003-04.

EEPC's participation at the Steelfab is aimed at further intensifying the reach of Indian Engineering products in the Middle East region.

A major highlight of SteelFab '06 is the welding & cutting segment that includes exciting displays of welding, plasma cutting, welding automation and robotic welding from some of the leading brands across the globe. Welding consumables, electrodes and safety are also featured prominently at the event.

In the steel machinery section, steel roll-forming machine, CNC machining centers, CNC routers, automation & retrofits to upgrade existing machinery, surface preparation machinery, and displays covering shot blasting, blast rooms and airless & portable blasting solutions, will be of special interest to visitors from the regional steel working industry.

SteelFab 06 is open for trade only from January 22-24, 2006, between 10 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm.