01 April 2016
gulfBID, gulfInteriors and the Gulf Property Show aim to provide a key business platform for the construction, interiors and property sectors in the Northern Gulf.
Bahrain’s most awaited annual showcase for the construction, interiors and real estate sectors is poised to open its doors again this year with more exhibitors and a larger exhibition space.
The gulfBID, gulfInteriors and Gulf Property Show will be held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister of Bahrain, and will be held this month (April 26 to 28) at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC).
Also known as the ‘3Gs’, the shows aim to provide the biggest integrated business-to-business platforms for the construction, interior and property sectors in the Northern Gulf.
“This year’s edition of gulfBID sees an increase in the exhibition space by over 200 sq m at a challenging time for the region’s construction sector,” says Jubran Abdulrahman, managing director of Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE), the event’s organiser.
He says Bahrain’s construction market is buoyant due to the large number of property development projects, the mega airport expansion and refurbishment plan, and the proposed second Bahrain-Saudi causeway.
Given these opportunities, gulfBID is becoming an exciting prospective showcase for companies from Saudi Arabia, with some of its leading building and construction material firms taking part this year.
Companies such as Espac, O2ProFormance, Saudi Bitumen Industrial, Rafee Metal Industries Factory, Fabco Plastic Factory, Al Kaabi for Testing Equipment, Plastbau Arabia, Al Atrash Trading, Silkcoat, Jawdah for Trading and Industrial Company, Arabtech Construction, Shade Technology and Rezayat Protective Coating have chosen to exhibit their products at gulfBID 2016.
“Many of the Saudi companies already have existing business in Bahrain but see the exhibition as an opportunity to build on this business potential,” Abdulrahman says.
The participating companies will be showcasing products and services such as protective coatings, paints, precast elements, scaffolding, heavy equipment and aluminium construction products.
gulfBID will also feature some of the Gulf’s top construction companies and building material suppliers, including Bahrain-headquartered construction-focused group Haji Hasan Group and KMC Contracting, who are strategic sponsors of the show. Other leading companies including Saberi Construction, Al Maawdah Group, Al Nooh Wood Design, CV Sun Alliance, Paramount Doors, Polaris International, Polymeric Waterproofing Industries, Modern Glass Technology, Alaa Al Jazeera Elevators, Middle East Traders and Everbuild.
gulfInteriors
Running alongside gulfBID is gulfInteriors, which will play host to a selection of some of famous brands in the interiors sector.
“gulfInteriors 2016 will provide visitors with an opportunity to see and feel some of the world’s leading brands in furniture, wall decor, lighting designs, fabrics, kitchen fittings and household accessories,” says Abdulrahman. “The brand extravaganza will also be supported with special exhibition offers and discounts.”
gulfInteriors will provide a gallery for the leading paints and decorative coatings companies and visitors will get an opportunity to “view and touch” exquisite decor colours from Hempel Paints. Other household names in the paints industry include Berger, which will be launching an advanced coating systems called Weathercoat Ultra and Royale Luxury Emulsion. Also representing the paints sector will be National Paints and Al Jazeera Paints.
For discerning brand enthusiasts, gulfInteriors will be hosting Armani Casa, luxury interior furniture designed by Giorgio Armani, Mulberry Home and Hunter Douglas blinds.
The display of brands will be further enhanced with exquisite wallpapers, curtain prints, fabric prints, cotton prints, linen, embroideries for upholstery and soft furnishings from Harlequin, Zoffany, GP & J Baker, Sanderson, Houles Paris, Scion, Morris & Co, Colefax & Fowler, and Tassinari & Chatel – all of which will be represented by their agent Archinteriors.
‘Designed in Bahrain’ brands will take pride of place with Creative Closets, Mobilia Uno and Titolo, all leading the way with their own designs of modern furniture
and accessories.
The showcase will also extend to office furniture with Babini and Poltrona Frau from Italy, Germany’s Wagner and Topstar, as well as North American brands such as LE-AL executive office furniture, Hermann Miller, Steelcase, Kimball and Humanscale. These will all be represented by their agent Kuwait Management Company.
gulfInteriors 2016 is strategically supported by KMC Building Materials and Equipment and Hempel Paints.
Gulf Property Show
Meanwhile, the Gulf Property Show is turning out to be an important event for international real estate developers, says Abdulrahman, adding that the event has grown by more than 300 per cent since its inception in 2013.
“This year we have an increase in real estate projects from outside Bahrain, including those from Kuwait, the UAE, Turkey, Qatar, the UK, the US, India, Thailand, the Philippines, South-East Asia and Eastern Europe,” says exhibition director Ahmed Suleiman.
The show enjoys the strategic sponsorship of Diyaar Al Muharraq and Manara Developments with the support of Bahrain Property Developers Association (BaPDA).
The three expos are expected to attract more than 7,000 visitors from Bahrain and the GCC, 20 per cent of whom will be from Saudi Arabia.