CONSTRUCT Abu Dhabi & ARABIAN PROPERTIES receives 70 per cent increase in visitors

In the last 3 days, visitor turn-out at the twin events has been increasing and over 8,000 visitors are expected to attend by the close of the four day event. This represents a 70% increase in visitors over the previous edition of CONSTRUCT held in 2005 which had a visitor count of 4,655 over four days.

'The events have been a big success reflecting the vibrancy of the construction and real estate markets in the region. The two sectors are attracting increasing investments and impacting ever increasing sections of the population and they are poised to be increasing contributors to the economies of the region. We expect that exhibitors have benefited considerably from showcasing their products and services at CONSTRUCT Abu Dhabi and ARABIAN PROPERTIES as there has been a constant flow of visitors not only gathering information but also sealing business deals at the events,'

said a spokesperson for ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, the organisers of the event.

CONSTRUCT Abu Dhabi and ARABIAN PROPERTIES has seen the participation of 350 companies representing 130 exhibitors from 18 countries occupying an exhibit area of 14,500 square metres.

Among the innovative displays at ARABIAN PROPERTIES 2006 is a presentation of a concept resort called the Black Pearl resort. The resort is built using concrete and steel pylons shaped to resemble towering hills rising to a height of several hundred metres. The buildings at the resort are embedded into the hill ranges and present a panaromic view of the surroundings thanks to the height at which they are placed.

'These themed resorts are presented by Larson Themed Construction from the US and are developed specifically for the Middle East where a number of island development projects are underway. The visitors to ARABIAN PROPERTIES have shown great interest in our concept and we are poised to conclude business from our presence at the show' sayd Bill Shehan Jr. President and CEO of Larson. Larson is also in the midst of setting up an office in Dubai to cater to clients in the Middle East.

Major property developers such as Sorouh Real Estate, ALDAR Properties, Al Fajer Properties, Tameer, Falcon City and RAK Properties among other leading developers, have reported brisk business from their exhibit stands at the event.

The CONSTRUCT Abu Dhabi and ARABIAN PROPERTIES 2006 exhibition was inaugurated on 2nd April, 2006 by HE Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister for Public Works.

According to organisers of the event, value of all construction projects announced to date in the UAE is AED 624 billion. In 2005, the UAE dominated the Gulf construction sector with AED 130.6 billion worth of projects under construction accounting for 63.7 per cent of the total value of projects under construction in the GCC states. Saudi Arabia occupies the second slot with AED 28.9 billion, with Qatar (AED 16.88 billion) in third place followed by Kuwait (AED 12. 8 billion), Bahrain (AED 7.34 billion) and Oman (AED 5.1 billion).

Residential and tourism property projects unveiled in Abu Dhabi over the last 18 months have exceeded expectations. Nearly 200 billion AED worth of projects including the Al Raha Beach Development (AED 53.94 billion), Al Reem Island Development led by the Shams Abu Dhabi project by Sorouh Real Estate, the Lulu Island Island Project, the Abu Dhabi Airport Expansion (AED 24.9 billion), Mohammed Bin Zayed City (14 billion AED), Najmat Abu Dhabi (AED 30 billion) development by Reem Investments, Between The Bridges Project (AED 800 million) and The Gate Project by Abu Dhabi National Hotels among others, have been unveiled. In addition, several other projects are expected to be announced soon.

CONSTRUCT Abu Dhabi 2006 and ARABIAN PROPERTIES 2006 are supported by the Ministry of Public Works, Department of Municipalities & Agriculture and the UAE Contractor's Association. Sorouh Real Estate, Aldar Properties, Emirates Iron & Steel Factory and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi are the main sponsors of the events.