Middle East Electricity 2006 to further strengthen the event’s position as the power behind the Middle East Energy industry

“The demand for space, which was intense even during the 2005 show, has been incredible,” said Sarah Woodbridge, Exhibition Director, Middle East Electricity. “It became evident some months ago that we needed to increase the available floor space – after examining all of the possibilities with Dubai International Exhibition Centre, we were able to relocate the exhibition into Halls 1a, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and this allowed us to accommodate many of the new companies and country groups that were on the waiting list for space at this year’s show.”

This move means that Middle East Electricity 2006 will be 16% bigger than the record-breaking 2005 event – with over 800 exhibitors from 49 countries and 18 national pavilions (Germany and Italy will both have their largest ever presence), it will be the largest and most comprehensive ever staged. “This is a clear demonstration of how vital a showcase Middle East Electricity is to the global energy industry,” added Woodbridge. “It also re-emphasises how important this region is on the international stage - companies will travel to Dubai from all over the world to market their products and services to a visitor audience in excess of 25,000 key decision makers.”

The rapid pace of business throughout the regional energy industry is running at unprecedented levels, and multi-million dollar projects continue to dominate the headlines in the power sector - ABB, is one of the world’s leading power and automation technology groups that will be participating at the event in 2006. December 2005 saw the company announcing that it had won a US$79 million order from the Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA) for a 400-kilovolt (kV) substation in Fujairah. Soaring demand for electricity and volatile peak load swings in the UAE has created an urgent need for an interconnection project capable of linking five isolated utilities into a national power grid, called the Emirates National Grid (ENG). This substation - the first of its size awarded to ABB in the UAE - will connect the Fujairah Water and Power Plant to the ENG.

ABB’s factories in Switzerland, Sweden and Germany will manufacture the equipment – it is expected that the ENG will be complete by the end of 2006, and the Fujairah substation has to be completed within 18 months.

Governments throughout the extremely active Middle East energy sector are committing substantial budgets for projects designed to strengthen the region’s generation and transmission capabilities. Another of the key developments currently in progress is the US$1.25 billion Gulf Power Grid, which will connect Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia by 2008, with the UAE and Oman to be added later. Vital to the countries of the GCC, it will enable the linked countries to utilise electricity from their neighbours in the case of emergencies, ensuring greater stability of power supply and eliminating the risk of blackouts - it will also eventually result in a pan-Arab power grid.

“The MENA region is without doubt one of the largest markets anywhere in the world for energy related products and services,” said Woodbridge. “The industry growth curve here far exceeds all global norms - Iran, as just one example, has expanded its power generation output by over 50% in less than a decade, and an increasing number of major international companies are therefore establishing and/or strengthening their regional presence to compete for the many highly valuable contracts that are coming up for tender.”

Acknowledged as one of the world’s most important trade events of its kind and rated amongst the world’s top five energy shows by exhibitors, the strength of Middle East Electricity lies in the remarkably high number of senior key decision makers that visit the show. Enthusiastically supported by the UAE Ministry of Energy, it acts both as a showcase for the global energy industry and a platform that allows the region’s energy professionals to see, first hand, the latest products and services that the world leaders have to offer.

Due to strong demand from exhibitors and visitors plus the huge growth in the natural gas industry, Middle East Electricity 2006 has introduced a new area for gas. Coupled with the existing dedicated areas for power generation, new and renewable energy and lighting and with Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounting for 45% of total proven world gas reserves this was the next logical step in the expansion of the event. Middle East Electricity therefore offers a truly unique depth and focus on the regional energy industry - the result of extensive on-going research and the close relationships that the organisers have established with key Governmental, industry and business partners throughout the world.

Alongside this new sector of the event, Lighting Middle East, now an integral part of the show, will this year deliver the most complete showcase of industrial, outdoor and specialist lighting ever seen in the Middle East, while other specially designed sections cover Electricity, Power Generation and New & Renewable Energy.

Sponsored by Osram and the Eaton Electrical Group, Middle East Electricity 2006, which takes place at Dubai’s International Exhibition Centre from February 5-8, will feature the leading names from the global energy industry including Ducab, Lucy Switchgear, Coopers, Areva, Hyundai, Danway, LS Group, GE Energy, Perkins, Panasonic, Al Babtain and Cummins. Comprehensively covering the entire spectrum of the energy industry, it will reinforce its position as the power behind the Middle East energy industry.

“We’re grateful for the continued endorsement and depth of support that we receive from the UAE Ministry of Energy and the Federal Electricity & Water Authority. We consistently strive to deliver a show that is as relevant as possible, thus maximising its effectiveness for our exhibitors and visitors. Our ultimate objective is to consistently enhance Middle East Electricity, making it the ideal environment in which the industry can grow dynamically. The region benefits greatly from exposure to, and interaction with, companies that bring their global industry expertise and experience to the area - the Middle East’s needs and ambitions are clear, and we will continue to maximise our contribution towards their achievement.” Evidence of this commitment is that the organisers plan to announce the addition of further new sectors for 2007 during this year’s show.