USING energy-efficient lighting in the Middle East and Africa could result in potential savings of $16.88 billion a year, while globally the savings would be $155.45 billion, according to market research.

Simply switching from traditional to modern lighting systems in public and commercial buildings could result in huge savings in energy costs. These findings will be highlighted at Light Insight Arabia, a conference that will take place alongside Light Middle East 2011, this September (12 to 14) in Dubai, UAE, where environment-friendly and energy-saving lighting solutions and trends will come under the spotlight.

Light Middle East 2011 is the region’s sole dedicated trade platform and conference for lighting design and technology. “This is a niche and highly specialised show which deserves the place it holds in the calendars of some of the world’s leading architects, lighting consultants and designers,” says Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt, the event’s organiser.

“Additionally, building on the success of last year’s Light Focus conference, we have rebranded it with a specific focus on this region and it is now called Light Insight Arabia. The conference has established itself as an integral part of this event and brings together some of the world’s leading experts in the field to discuss hot topics in terms of environmental care.”

Light Insight Arabia, which will focus on better lighting solutions within the Arab world, has already confirmed leading experts in the field. Among them will be Professor Andreas Schulz, winner of German Lighting Designer Award 2011, who will be brought in courtesy of Zumtobel Lighting; Abdul Aziz Al Azem, who specialises in culturally-specific lighting such as that for mosque lighting; and Enrique Peiniger, founder and principal of the Office for Visual Interaction and one of the chief lighting designers for Zaha Hadid projects in the Middle East.

The conference will be a key meeting place for architects, lighting consultants, designers, manufacturers, suppliers, and other industry professionals and a platform for industry professionals to have lively discussions on energy-efficiency topics with a particular slant on sustainable lighting solutions.

The event will take place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Among the key exhibitors confirmed so far are Osram, Ruud Lighting Arabia, Thorn, and the Zumtobel Group.