Gulf Construction Online - Middle East Rail show gets bigger

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Middle East Rail show gets bigger

01 March 2016

Middle East Rail 2016 has increased its exhibition space by 25 per cent compared to last year, in response to huge demand from the growing number of exhibitors keen to take advantage of the opportunity to network at the regional rail industry’s marketplace.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, the 10th edition of Middle East Rail will take place this month (March 8 and 9) in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Infrastructure Development and the Federal Transport Authority (FTA) – Land & Maritime.

Key railway projects worth $352 billion currently planned and under way in the region will be under the spotlight through dedicated project update roundtables.

Government departments, railway operators and construction companies will give a first look at 2016 tenders and an understanding of the techniques and technologies being implemented to build these futuristic networks.

The exhibition will occupy nearly 18,000 sq m of space at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and host 300 exhibitors, a significant increase compared to the 2015 edition which hosted 221 exhibitors. Many of the exhibitors have upgraded the size of their stands this year, including Autodesk, Bombardier, Parsons Brinkerhoff and Siemens, said the organiser.

Abdulla Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and chairman of FTA, said: “FTA’s participation in Middle East Rail is part of the authority’s objectives to position the UAE as a leading country in the field of railway projects development, as well as to gather all ministries of rail and transport from the GCC, Middle East and the world to establish and build the best railway networks with the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficiency, which will improve the logistics sector in the GCC.”

Alongside the exhibition, the two-day conference will serve as a stage for influencers and the game-changers to meet and share ideas on the latest and most vital innovations that are transforming the rail industry.

In addition to Al Nuaimi, keynote speakers at the show include Abdul Latif Al Zayani, the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council; Abdullah S Al Katheeri of FTA; Henrik Hololei, the director general, Mobility and Transport, European Commission; Rob Lloyd, the CEO at Hyperloop Technologies; Aziz Rabbah, Morocco’s Minister of Equipment and Transport, and Alwalid Alekrish, director of construction development projects and project director of the Riyadh Metro, Arriyadh Development Authority, Saudi Arabia.

The show will host four country pavilions from Italy, China, Spain, and the UK, featuring railway supply companies in freight car, locomotive, maintenance-of-way, communications, signalling, leasing, and passenger rail industries.

More than 9,000 visitors, including 600 VIP government officials, are expected to attend the show. Workshops for the conference include stations and terminal design, building intelligent transport IT solutions and GCC rail interoperability to name a few.

The show will feature a dedicated career zone for current and future engineering graduates.