Front, Roof, and Cladding exhibitions open at Expo Centre Sharjah

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Mohammed Salem Al Mosharrekh - Expo Centre Sharjah Board Member, Mr. Saif Al Midfa - Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah, directors of various government departments, and members of the diplomatic corps and trade associations.

Roof Middle East and Cladding Middle East are being jointly organized by Expo Centre Sharjah and India-based Unitech Exhibition. Front, on the other hand, is an initiative of Expo Centre Sharjah.

The exhibitions are together occupying two halls of Expo Centre Sharjah measuring 8,000 sq. m., and hosting more than 200 leading brands and over 150 companies from 24 countries including from USA, UK, France, Austria, China, Australia, Germany, India, Belgium, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, United Kingdom, Turkey, Thailand, Sweden, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Finland, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.

'The fact that Front and the Roof & Cladding Middle East exhibitions are being held concurrently at a time when the regional construction industry is experiencing massive boom, assumes special significance,' said Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of SCCI, after the inauguration ceremony.

'The events are an excellent opportunity for global companies engaged in fenestration and facade as well as the roof and cladding sectors to tap and curve out a share of the lucrative Middle East construction market from a single platform,'

he added.

It is estimated that currently there are 1,400 on-going projects in the Gulf region with a value of over USD $ 695 billion. The total construction spend in the GCC, Iran, and Iraq, at present is around USD $ 294 billion.

Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa also said that for the regional construction industry, particularly construction companies, contractors, planners, property managers, engineers, design consultants, architects, and traders from the sector, the event, besides being an ideal sourcing platform, was a perfect venue for networking and for familiarising themselves with the latest advances that are taking place in the field of construction related products and technology.

An important announcement that Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa made following the opening ceremony was regarding the launch of Conmex, a dedicated trade show for construction machinery, equipment, and vehicles. Mr. Midfa said that the four-day exhibition would be making its debut at Expo Centre Sharjah on November 25, 2006.

Exhibits at the current edition of Front exhibition include the complete range of windows, doors (wooden, glass, aluminium, steel, automatic, crane doors etc..), grills, gates, shutters and sun protection, sun blinds and awnings, louver blinds, interior roller blinds, glass and glass products, paints and chemicals, door operating devices, roller blinds, drives and drive technology, raw materials, components and machinery, accessories, working and business safety, wall coverings, and locks and access control systems.

Displays at the Roof Middle East and Cladding Middle East exhibitions focus on roofing systems, architectural cladding, structural glazing, curtain walling, façade engineering, metal building systems, skylights and domes, waterproofing, and insulation material.

The Roof and Cladding exhibitions had made their debut in Mumbai, India, in 2003. They were subsequently held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2004, and again in Mumbai in 2005.

'The Front, Roof Middle East and Cladding Middle East exhibitions are the region's only focused and dedicated trade events for doors, windows, walls, roofing and cladding products, related equipment, accessories and machinery, thereby making them completely different from other trade shows that are aimed towards the regional construction industry,'

said Mr. Saif Al Midfa, Director General, Expo Centre Sharjah.

'It is estimated that in the UAE alone over USD $ 81 billion will be invested in property development in the next 10 years. The massive demand for products, technologies and solutions related to the construction sector in the coming years can therefore very well be anticipated. These events, besides being a one-stop sourcing hub for the Middle East construction companies, will play a key role in integrating the region's expanding construction sector on a single platform,' he added.

Given the very focused profile, the Front, Roof Middle East and Cladding Middle East exhibitions, will attract architects, engineers, consultants, planners, interior designers, importers, contractors, traders, property managers, investors, and government officials from across the Middle East in large numbers.

A major attraction of the exhibitions are the seminars and product presentations that will be held on the sidelines. To be addressed by key players in the regional construction industry, the seminars and conferences will throw light on the latest innovations in construction related products and technologies and address concerns facing the sector.

Roof Middle East, Cladding Middle East, and Front, will be open to trade visitors from 10 am to 7 pm, Tuesday Thru Thursday.