HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain, inaugurated the fifth Gulf Industry Fair (GIF 2012) this morning at the Bah-rain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIEC).

Over the next three days some of the most prominent industry-related companies in the region and beyond will showcase market-leading products, services and capabilities to a highly targeted local, regional and international visitor audience.

Held under the Premier’s patronage, GIF is firmly established as the region’s most high-profile industrial exhibition. The 2012 show already boasts an increase in companies and agencies to be showcased at the show.

After officially opening the exhibition, the Prime Minister took a tour of the various stands and appreciated the leading role played by the sector.

The growing success of the region’s premier show is a statement about the healthy confidence in the industrial sector in the GCC, said Jubran Abdulrahman, managing director of Hilal Conferences and Exhibition (HCE).

High-level strategic support for the fair continues from Bahrain’s National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga) in association with the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco); Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), one of the world’s largest aluminium smelters; British Offset; and The General Organisation of Sea Ports Bahrain (GOP), Bahrain’s maritime regulator.

Other supporting organisations for the 2012 exhibition are Bahrain Chamber of Commerce, British Expertise, German Arab Chamber, The Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC) and Machinery Trade International.

Tamkeen’s Tarweej support programme for companies participating in GIF 2012 has proved to be a major influence in ensuring that the exhibition is a positive showcase of the industrial capacity of Bahrain, said Abdulrahman.

GIF 2012 will feature 38 companies who will benefit from Tamkeen’s support to showcase their products at the show.

“The one-shop approach that Tamkeen has taken with the appointment of HCE as packager of applications for Tarweej has proved a success,” said Mahmood Kooheji, CEO of Tamkeen Labour Fund.

“This approach has ensured that we have, through the strategic partnership between Tamkeen and HCE, promoted the Tarweej scheme through the marketing and business development of our partner organisation. With this cost-effective approach we have ensured that the SMEs of Bahrain will benefit greatly through Tamkeen’s programmes.”

The Tarweej scheme allows qualifying companies to receive 80 per cent support of their exhibition participation costs, thus allowing them the opportunity to exhibit their products to attract new business while promoting their corporate brand.

Meanwhile, familiar concepts also return to GIF 2012. Building on their successful launch last year, and following excellent feedback from visitors and exhibitors alike, dedicated sector zones will again be a focal point at the fair. GIF 2012 will feature three dedicated zones.

Among them, the Aluminium Zone is led by Alba. Leading on from the upstream aluminium sector, the zone features the downstream aluminium industry also.  In the zone, leading companies such as ITSS, Garmco, Balexco, Midal Cables, BRC Welmesh, Metals of Bahrain, Bramco, Bahrain Creative Aluminium, Amiri Industries and Turk Mechanical will feature their products.

The Aluminium Zone carries with it further endorsement from the Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC).

Other specialist zones have likewise attracted equally strong support. The Energy Zone has, besides the backing of the Noga, support from Hidd Power, Tabodin, Ahmed Al Kuwaiti and global energy players such as Chevron and Skaugen Gulf.

The Ports and Logistics Zone is spearheaded by the GOP, and in particular the award-winning Bahrain Logistics Zone, the Arab Ship Building and Repair Yard Company (Asry) and Baytik Industrial Zone.

Manwhile, companies headquartered in Bahrain are flexing their muscles internationally and are players in the global economy.

One such example is Midal Cables, who is exhibiting at GIF 2012. Midal has entered into a joint venture with Australia’s Power Grid Cables, which is expected to commence production of aluminium and alloy rods and conductors in Australia in 2013, using 50,000 tonnes per year (tpy) of molten aluminium supplied by the Tomago aluminium smelter in New South Wales.

Meanwhile, production is expected to start in mid-February 2012 at Midal Kablo, a new 30,000-tpy facility established by Midal in Turkey. The plant will produce various types of overhead line transmission and distribution conductors.

It is no wonder that with such an industrial profile, the 2012 Gulf Industry Fair is looking forward to a bold and innovative exhibition. – TradeArabia News Service