LEADING companies from key industrial sectors will again converge on Bahrain next February for Gulf Industry Fair (GIF), the Northern Gulf’s premier business-to-business (B2B) industrial exhibition.

The fifth edition of the successful show series, GIF 2012 will be held from February 14 to 16 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Conven-tion Centre (BIECC).

The fair is organised by Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE), part of Bahrain’s Al Hilal Group.

Local, regional and international enterprises representing the aluminium, machine tools, industrial equipment, manufacturing, automation, steel, energy, logistics, ports and free trade zones and vocational training sectors, will participate in the event.

Known for its high calibre of visitors, the 2012 exhibition promises to attract senior decision-makers, procurement personnel and product specifiers from the buoyant Northern Gulf, making it the ultimate B2B (business to business) networking experience. 

GIF 2012 is being organised as Northern Gulf governments spearhead multi-billion-dollar industrial investments. In Saudi Arabia alone, nearly $90 billion will be spent in the next decade on adding new power supply networks, while $30 billion will be spent on new water projects up to 2016.

HCE managing director Jubran Abdulrahman said: “The economic vision for many countries is based on wealth driving demand for services. It is clear that wealth creation will come from industry, so we anticipate the industrial manufacturing and services sector to see outstanding growth opportunities over the next few years. This positive vision of the future for Bahrain and the GCC forms the basis of HCE’s vision for the Gulf Industry Fair.”

GIF 2012 will seek to build upon the success of the 2011 show, when 107 exhibitors from 16 countries conducted approximately $30 million worth of business.

HCE conference director Ahmed Suleiman said: “The initial response from regional and international companies has been positive and we are confident that GIF 2012 will be bigger and better than GIF 2011.”

To date, the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce, British Expertise, a trade organisation which promotes British companies overseas, the German Arab Chamber, and Machinery Trade International have confirmed their support for GIF 2012.