Exhibitors were already signing up for gulfBID 2009 last night as the third edition of the construction and interiors event came to a close.

The show has been voted the best ever by companies, which took space at the show.

Almaroos, the excavator to forklift trucks and water heaters company had the biggest stand for the second year in a row and expects to have a major presence again next year.

The company provides state-of-the-art equipment from leading UK, US, European and Japanese manufacturers.

'The equipment we offer can reduce labour costs dramatically by offering the latest in technology,' said GCC sales manager Tawfiq Hojair.

'At present about 80 per cent of our business is in Bahrain but gulfBID should have helped us with our plans to expand further across the GCC.

'We are working on this through dealerships in Dubai, Saudi and Kuwait and will shortly have an operation in Qatar. We have made some very good contacts at the show, particularly in Saudi and we will certainly be back next year.

The marketing manager for Saudi-based Rajhi Steel Ahmad Nazal agreed that the show had been a great success.

'We have received some very serious enquiries and orders for some of our existing customers during the event,' he said.

'At present we only export about 4pc of our production to Bahrain, but we are hopeful that this event will help us increase that. We have already signed a contract to return next year and we will have a larger stand.'

Dubai-based Mega Star Trading, the plywood to kitchen cabinets company voted their second visit to gulfBID a major success and the company now plans to open an office in bahrain and one in Qatar.

'We sell about 70pc of our products in the UAE and want to increase the 30pc we sell elsewhere in the GCC,' said export manager K K Rajesh.

'This event is helping us build the contacts that will see us increase business in the Northern Gulf.'

TechnoIN from Dubai was making its debut at the show, but has been so impressed it already intends to return next year.

The company, which manufactures bathroom and kitchen units for the trade market, is in the process of a major expansion including opening a new factory in Abu Dhabi.

'We sell about 80pc of our production in the UAE and the rest in Qatar, where we have a major contract with Qatar Education City,' said managing director Sami Al Madalla.

'We are using the show to expand into Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and are having a lot of success here. We have had some talks with the Durrat Al Bahrain project during the show.' -TradeArabia News Service