The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) will host a unique services forum entitled 'Excellence for the World' in Sharjah.

The forum will be held concurrent to their debut Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE 2008) at the Sharjah Expo Centre.

The MSE 2008 will take place from January 13 to 15, while the Malaysia Services Trade Forum will be held from January 14 to 15.

Both these events will showcase the best of Malaysia in terms of its services industry, especially those related to the needs of businesses in the UAE and the Middle East, said a Matrade official.

Noraslan Hadi Abdul Kadir, Acting Consul General and Trade Commissioner of the Consulate General of Malaysia in Dubai, said that the services forum was based and developed in response to both participating and attending companies.

"We have had very strong interest in MSE 2008, since it was formally announced in November. The exhibition is the first of its kind, and over 170 companies representing 11 industry clusters are taking part."

"Given the individual and collective strengths of these companies, we have no doubt that participants and attendees alike stand to gain much at this event," he added. 

The entry to the services forum will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. It is expected to attract strong attendance from a cross-section of representatives from the private and public sectors, across the region. 

Notable Malaysian decision makers and thought leaders are slated to address the forum.

Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Jamilus Hussein, Chairman of Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia (CIDB) will speak on 'Project management and its implementation – a showcase of Malaysia’s experience and expertise'.

Sofiyan Yahya, Vice-president of Malaysian Oil and Gas Services Council (MOGSC) will speak on 'Malaysia: a global hub for oil and gas services'. 

Shahari Sulaiman, Managing Director of Malaysia Airline Cargo (MASkargo) will make a presentation titled 'Malaysia – Your Asean logistic gateway' and Dato Dr. Jacob Thomas, a Board Member of the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM) will deliver another on 'Malaysia – your choice for quality healthcare.'

Hadi pointed out that the Middle East was an important market for the Malaysian services industry.

"As this region grows its infrastructure and facilities across all industries, Malaysia can offer experienced and expert services to keep pace with planned growth and expansion," he added.

MSE 2008 will showcase 11 specific industry clusters - construction, engineering, healthcare and hospital-related services, ICT, oil and gas, education and specialised training, energy and power generation, finance, logistics and transportation, professional
services and franchising clusters. - TradeArabia News Service