JEDDAH, 2 October - Multimillion-dollar deals were discussed during the five-day Healthcare and Hospital show, which ended at the Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Center on Sunday night.
Most of the international participants said that aside from showcasing their latest products and technology, they received an overwhelming number of inquiries from local importers and traders. Austrian exhibitors confirmed that they had set up local agencies at the exhibition.
"Our discussions have been positive and may result in multimillion dollar deals," a representative said.
International participants who came from Austria, Britain, the US, Germany, India and other countries expressed similar sentiments.
Despite the global recession, international representation was relatively unaffected.
While an exhibitor said he would return to the city to tell his new dealers about the use of the equipment they had ordered at the show, another said he was contemplating permanently relocating to the city.
Dr. M. Weber of Germany said everybody had been supportive, especially Al-Harithy Co. for Exhibitions Ltd. which organized the event.
"The new laser acupuncture technology on my Laser Needle stand has created a lot of interest and several of the high-tech machines have been sold," he added.
US-based Vital Concepts Regional Manager Malek Karadsheh said: "Response has been so good that I've decided to relocate to this city."
Calling their participation a success, UK-based ComMedica's Chief Executive Officer Mark Simon and founder Dr. Ravi Bickram said their involvement with the show helped them to educate the public and reassure them of the continuity of their products.
Austrian pavilion head Dr. Gustav Schatzmayr said all exhibitors from his country found the participation rewarding and hoped to return to the biennial event next time.
Among local companies was Sadeem Environmental Services, which displayed new models of its water distillation units, which replace bottled water with purified distilled water produced from normal tap water supplies.
Models ranged from those with large industrial capacity to a new unit not larger than a small coffee maker targeted at the domestic user.
The event, officially inaugurated by Dr. Adnan ibn Ahmad Al-Baar, director of the Ministry of Health in the Makkah region, attracted 4,260 health sector visitors. Some of them were from elsewhere in the Kingdom and across the Gulf, notably Kuwait Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Yousef Al-Nasif and representatives from the GCC Health Ministers Office in Riyadh.
