JEDDAH, 26 September 2004 — Saudi Arabia’s status for international trade expositions gets a boost with the setting up of a new entity that aims to stage exhibitions catering for the upscale market in both the public and private sectors.
Trade-X Arabia seeks to introduce a new concept in staging exhibitions that will mainly focus on offering new business opportunities, its Chairman Prince Saud Abdullah Al-Faisal told a press conference here yesterday.
Trade-X Arabia has planned two major trade shows in 2004. The first is Arabian Security and Safety Technology Exhibition (Astex 2004)) that will run concurrently with Telecommunications exhibition and conference (Telecom 2004) at the Jeddah Hilton from Dec. 13-16. The second is Saudi Real Estate Development and Investment Exhibition and Conference 2004 at the same venue from Dec. 19-23, with the support of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce & Industry and the Saudi Real Estate Committee. Conferences and workshops will be held as part of the exhibitions.
“The Telecom 2004 will be a leading expo on the telecommunications services in the region, while the Astex will be the only international show of its kind dedicated to the Kingdom’s internal security requirements,” the prince said, adding that both events will go side by side in order to maximize the number of participants, whether exhibitors, traders or professionals. The organizers expect to attract participants from across the Kingdom and Middle East-Gulf region.
The show on telecom has assumed importance due to a boom in this sector caused by privatization. “The Kingdom’s telecommunications sector offers unmatched opportunities for business and investment, as its modernization continues,” the prince said. Demand for mobile phones, the Internet and high-speed data equipment is growing phenomenally.
Moreover, the Kingdom, in cooperation with the private sector, has been working to incorporate e-governance into its services and promote an ambitious e-commerce plan. “A major upgrading of the available human resources needs to be urgently considered, as the number of Saudi IT professionals remains too low, accounting for a mere one percent of the work force,” the prince said, adding that the upcoming expo will focus on this and other requirements.
About the expo on security and safety equipment and technology, he said, the Kingdom had become the world’s fastest growing single market for such equipment. The Sept. 11, 2001 attacks have resulted in an unprecedented boom in this industry and the demand for latest security equipment is expanding at an estimated rate of 13 percent per annum.
Already, the Kingdom’s decision to tighten security measures have prompted many industries to upgrade their security and safety systems, creating more demand for state-of-the-art systems and equipment. “This is one more area that the upcoming expo will focus on,” the prince added.
