Arabian Construction Week (ACW) and Cityscape, two major annual trade shows held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, will be merged to form a single event next year.
The news was unveiled by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec) at the recent ACW, which attracted more than 150 exhibitors who showcased the latest developments in sustainability, innovation and infrastructure.
Attended by 7,900 visitors, delegates and construction professionals over three days in March at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ACW 2011 proved to be a major success.
The Department of Municipal Affairs, headline sponsor of this year’s event, hosted eight workshops on Abu Dhabi’s new building codes and the environmental health and safety management system, which was attended by more than 1,000 construction industry professionals.
Announcing the collaboration, Adnec said that Cityscape – organised by Informa Exhibitions – and ACW – organised by Clarion Events Middle East – will merge to create a single dedicated platform for the region’s construction industry, with the debut show scheduled in April next year.
The inaugural Arabian Build & Construction Exhibition (ABC Expo) will be staged from April 22 to 25, 2012 at Adnec, and co-located with Cityscape Abu Dhabi, the city’s premier real estate investment and development event.
The focus of the new show will be on sustainable and innovative construction products and solutions.
Besides an industry-leading exhibition, the ABC Expo will also deliver business, knowledge and networking opportunities through a series of engaging conferences, workshops and seminars related to the construction industry.
Humaid Al Dhaheri, Adnec’s chief sales and marketing officer, said: “Adnec is committed to creating world-class exhibitions and we thoroughly support this exciting new show – an integrated trade event and a dedicated sourcing platform for projects across Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the wider Middle East.”
Christopher Hudson, managing director of Clarion Events Middle East, said: “This joint venture between two of the world’s leading exhibition and conference organisers aims to provide the region with a new construction industry sourcing and knowledge platform for the billions of dollars committed to major construction projects within Abu Dhabi and the surrounding region.”
Meanwhile, the first edition of Intermat Middle East – an international exhibition for machinery, materials and equipment for construction and infrastructure – made a successful debut at the recent ACW.
Intermat Middle East provided a stellar networking platform for exhibitors to showcase their latest products and services to key decision makers in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, according to Clarion Events Middle East.
In addition, it also enabled companies to strategise on how to establish and build profitable relationships in the construction industry, it added.
Approximately 3,200 buyers and industry leaders from across the world attended Intermat’s Middle East’s debut. Intermat Middle East hosted more than 100 international manufacturers and distributors and 120 represented brands from 15 countries.
