RIYADH, 31 January 2007 — The big names of the Kingdom’s construction industry will be converging in Munich on April 23 for the world’s premier construction trade fair. More than 600 Saudi businessmen including 50 top decision markers will attend the largest construction machinery and mining exhibition, Bauma 2007, which has chosen Arabian Peninsula as its partner region.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Gerd M. Doepner, delegate of German Industry & Commerce Office, said that this week-long event will feature construction machinery and equipment, building materials and mining technology. Eugen Egetenmeir, deputy managing director of Messe Munchen International; Michael Michaelis, member of the supervisory board of Liebherr-Export AG and Christoph Kleiner, general manager of Saudi Liebherr Company were also present.
Referring to the added facilities to be provided to Saudi businessmen and visitors, Doepner pointed out that a number of Arabic-speaking hosts will be deployed to aid and assist Arabic-speaking visitors, while the German fair officials have also made arrangements for halal food and mosques for Muslim businessmen traveling.
“These facilities are essential as the new partner region for 2007 is the Arabian Peninsula with main focus on Saudi Arabia and the UAE,” said Doepner.
To this end, Liebherr official Michael noted that, “the Kingdom and the UAE are an area of the world where incredibly rapid development is taking place and where the most impressive construction projects are underway. “Projects, that assume vast proportions and that are unique and incomparable on the global scale have triggered off a construction boom in the area that also has affected exports of construction equipment to the area,” he said.
According to the VDMA (the engineering industry’s largest network in Europe) from 2000 to 2005 exports of German construction equipment to the Arabian Peninsula have more than quadrupled.
“In absolute figures Saudi Arabia has seen the highest growth rates,” said Michael, adding that the construction equipment exports from Germany to Saudi Arabia for example have almost sextupled in the same period of time.
“But, at Bauma 2007, the visitor will have the chance to see and experience what comes next in machinery technology,” said the German officials, who traveled from Germany to Riyadh to make special presentation about the fair in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Many delegations of high-ranking business people and political representatives from the individual states of the Gulf are also expected to attend Bauma 2007 in Munich.
