Aluminium Middle East 2013, a leading exhibition for aluminium products, technologies and investments in the Middle East, ended on a successful note with record turnout and several exhibitors closing high-value deals during the three-day event held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The event was inaugurated by Saeed Mohammed Ahmad Al Tayer, the CEO and managing director of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and the vice chairman of Dubal.  

This year's Aluminium Middle East expo registered a record turnout of more than 3,000 trade visitors from over 70 countries and a total of 162 exhibitors from 25 countries, said the event organisers Reed Exhibitions.

Gulf Extrusions, a leading global manufacturer of extruded aluminium products, was one of the exhibitors that finalised major contracts during the event.

The UAE firm won a landmark project in Mumbai (India), while it also signed a distribution agreement covering France, a key market for Gulf Extrusions in Europe.    

This edition of the event emphasised the Mena region’s rapidly growing role in the global aluminium industry, highlighting investment plans in new smelters and expansion of existing capacities by the regional market players from the GCC countries.

The event also saw strong participation from leading international companies such as Kuttner and RUF Briquetting from Germany and Hot Chili from Spain, that are focused on contributing to environmental protection and reduction of carbon footprint by offering technologies and products that facilitate recycling of aluminium and its by-products.

Hot Chili, for instance, offers its unique engineering and technology to clients to recycle aluminium dross, a waste material produced when aluminium is melted, said the organisers.

Further, Italian company FATA participated in Aluminium Middle East, where it showcased the offerings of its two divisions FATA EPC and FATA Hunter, which include EPC services to the primary, secondary and downstream industries, and aluminium production equipments respectively.         

A major highlight this year was a new B2B Business Matching Program that made it easier for exhibitors to forge connections through an extensive database of business contacts and companies from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, GCC, North Africa, Levant, Turkey, India, South Africa, Asia and Australia.

The introduction of the Business Matching Program was in line with the goal of Aluminium Middle East 2013 to ultimately increase the region’s global market share and help boost the GCC’s aluminium exports to exceed 80 per cent of the current total production.

Commenting on the success, show director Mohammed Bader-Eddin said, “The overwhelming exhibitor and visitor turnout and the large number of deals signed during this edition reaffirms the stature of the show as the region’s premier event for aluminium products, technologies and investments."

"Moreover, the event served as an excellent platform to share valuable insights on the current state of the industry, emerging trends, issues and challenges being faced, and the opportunities that lie ahead," he added.-TradeArabia News Service