Gulf Construction Online

The Big 5

The German pavilion at last year’s Big 5 show.

Export drive

01 October 2012

THE 130-member strong German contingent at The Big 5 show will be split into two groups, demonstrating the country’s prowess across the spectrum of construction products and technology.

The pavilion in the Saeed Hall will include 60 exhibitors exhibiting mostly heavy machinery and construction materials; while the second, in Zabeel Hall, will have 50 exhibitors showcasing interior fit-out and decorative products, services, sanitary ware and air-conditioning equipment.

“Furthermore, there will be some 20 sub-exhibitors that will present their products and services alongside their exhibiting partners in both halls,” says a spokesman for VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen-und Anlagenbau), the German Engineering Federation.

While German exports to the region have taken a beating during the recession, he says companies are hoping to penetrate the recovering construction sector in Dubai, other emirates as well as in neighbouring countries.

Export of German goods to the UAE increased steadily from 2002 and reached a peak in 2008 after which it saw a decline. The good news is that the country has witnessed a tangible increase in the first quarter of this year. Export of goods for Q1 of 2012 were worth €1.954 billion ($2.44 billion), of which machinery exports were valued at €268 million ($335.8 million) or 13.7 per cent, an increase of 18.4 per cent over the same period last year.

The total exports of goods to the UAE last year were worth €7.5 billion ($9.4 billion) of which machinery accounted for €1.095 billion ($1.372 billion) or 14.6 per cent.

According to a breakdown of machinery exports, materials handling technology sold was worth €9.2 million ($11.52 million); power systems, €8.9 million ($11.14 million); valves and fittings, €7.7 million ($9.64 million); pumps, €7.3 million ($9.14 million); construction equipment and building materials machinery, €6.9 million ($8.64 million); air-handling technology, €6.8 million ($8.5 million); process plant and equipment, €4.8 million ($6.01 million); compressors and vacuum technology, €4.2 million ($5.26 million); power transmission engineering, €3.9 million ($4.88 million); plastics and rubber machinery, €3.1 million ($3.88 million); mining equipment, €2.7 million ($3.38 million); and machine tools worth €2.6 million ($3.25 million).

The VDMA figures also show that Germany was the leading machinery exporting country to the UAE for 2010 with a 15.7 per cent of the overall machinery exports to the country, while Chinese exports stood at 13.2 per cent, US at 13 per cent, Italy at 9.1 per cent, Japan at 8.4 per cent, and the UK at 5.9 per cent.

The German participation at the Big 5 is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and supported by the VDMA.

With 3,000 members, the VDMA is the biggest association of an industry within Europe and supports and represents the interests of about 300 companies, which manufacture machinery and plants to be used in the construction, building material, natural stone, ceramics and glass industry.

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