Gulf Construction Online - Strength in numbers

The Big 5

Around 200 German exhibitors are expected at this year’s show.

Strength in numbers

01 November 2010

AROUND 200 companies will showcase their high-quality products and services catering to the construction sector at the German pavilion at The Big 5 Show, this year.

Covering an area of 4,140 sq m net exhibition space located in the Zabeel Hall, the German pavilion represents one of the largest national groups, as in previous years.

About 25 per cent of the products promoted will be machinery products, consisting in particular of materials handling technology, construction and building machinery, air- conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration technology as well as valves for domestic and industrial applications.

The huge representation is in keeping with the strengthening trade relations between the Gulf and Germany, when in the first six month of this year, the latter’s overall exports to the GCC increased by 13 per cent to €7.5 billion ($10 billion) compared to the corresponding period in 2009. Last year, Germany’s overall exports dropped by 22 per cent to €13.7 billion ($18.8 billion).

Machinery exports, mainly materials handling technology, construction and building machinery, air-conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration technology or valves for domestic and industrial applications were valued at €3.5 billion ($4.9 billion).

“This does not come as surprise since the UAE has become more and more important as a production site for various industries. Although construction activities slowed down significantly during the last year in a few regions, energy-efficiency, sustainability (green building) and intelligent building solutions remained important issues. Several exhibitors of the German pavilion manufacture products and provide solutions for energy-efficient construction,” says a spokesman for VDMA-German Engineering Federation.

The German pavilion offers visitors a platform for information on the wide range of products and technologies made by German companies. The joint exhibition stand enables visitors to find appropriate products for their specific requirements and to analyse and coordinate potential areas of co-operation.

The German stand is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) as well as the VDMA-German Engineering Federation.