Australia returns to the Big 5 with double the number of exhibitors as last year. Strongly supported by the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) Dubai and a visiting delegation from New South Wales (NSW), two Australian State business offices located in the UAE and a leading construction industry association will together be spearheading the country's trade initiative at the show.

Austrade willl also be organising a seminar during Big 5 on Australian building technologies.

The Victorian Government Business Office (VGBO) and the South Australian Commercial Government Office - which both are positioned in Dubai to cover the Middle East - will have a major presence at the Big 5 show. Also joining the initiative will be Master Builders Australia (MBA), which was formed in the 1870s and is Australia's oldest peak building and construction industry association representing 22,000 members. Together, they will be promoting the services of 18 Australian firms seeking to boost business links in the region.

Exhibitors from the state of Victoria formed the core of the Australian pavilion in the last two years, The VGBO in Dubai was established in 1997 by the state government of Victoria to promote trade in the UAE and other GCC countries as well as inwards investment and inwards tourism to the Australian state.

"The VGBO can provide a range of services to Victorian companies to help them identify opportunities and to enter the market in a cost-effective way," says VGBO spokesman Peter Deacon. "For local companies and organisations, we can source products and services, organise business visit programs, provide business introductions and assist in investing in Victoria."

Companies represented by the VBGO are Gale Pacific, Ausscom, Flexiduct Ductmaker, Ausloc.com, Nubrik, Modfix Australia and Woods Educational Furniture.

Gal Pacific develops and manufactures Coolaroo knitted fabrics. Its Commercial 95 knitted Shadecloth, designed for use in tensioned outdoor protection structures, is said to provide up to 95 per cent UV (ultraviolet)-resistant block, while its premium knitted Shadecloth is for protection of people, plants, property and animals.

Ausscom is skilled in building total telecommunication sites and infrastructure including designing installations, erecting towers and poles, installing antennae and cabling and constructing shelters from the foundation up. It specialises in providing turnkey installations.

Flexiduct Ductmaker manufactures machinery and components for a simple, no-mess way to make flexible ducting for ducted cooling and heating installations. Its easy-to-use, single-phase machine is said to produce high-quality metallised and aluminium ducting and outer sleeve at a fraction of the cost of competitive systems.

Ausloc.com manufactures brass padlocks, pin cylinders and zinc die cast locks and supplies other lock manufacturers with cylinders and locks. It also has a new lock for sliding glass doors providing improved security through a break-off exterior handle and a security shutter to resist tampering.

Nubrik is an Australian clay paver and brick manufacturer that exports to Japan, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Korea and Taiwan.

Modfix Australia has a leading position in the supply of plastic concrete accessories for the building and construction industries. It offers an extensive range of reinforcing supports, spacers and ancillary products for slab-on-ground, suspended slabs, precast and tilt-up applications.

Woods Educational Furniture's main products are security lockers for schools and universities, student chairs, stools, swivel chairs and desks. The company also supplies lockers to sporting and recreational facilities.

The MBA is representing four firms at the show: Olex Cables, Bayside Personnel, Arens International and Superchill Australia.

Arens International is considered to be Australia's leading manufacturer of window manual and remote control systems, smoke dispersal systems, electric window and skylight operators. Its window remote control systems are used extensively in industrial, commercial and government buildings. The company's expertise is now used to design and develop smoke dispersal systems.

Olex Cables is believed to be Australia's only manufacturer of extra high-voltage cables rated for 110 KV and above. The company has over 50 years experience in cable production and the company is a leading supplier to power utilities and electricity authorities throughout Asia and the Pacific region. The company provides an engineering services package to turn a concept into a finished project by implementing turnkey projects.

Superchill Australia manufactures high-performance cooling towers suitable for any application and the toughest conditions with low-maintenance features. The cooling towers use a welded polypropylene fill, which is said to be the best available system for longest service life withstanding up to 80 deg C temperature. The casing is manufactured from totally non-corrosive materials and has a six-year warranty.

Bayside Personnel International is one of Australia's leading engineering recruiters and has been active in the Middle East for over 10 years.

The South Australian Government Office's primary objective is to introduce South Australian businesses to the GCC and facilitate their easy entry into an emerging marketplace. The office, which was set up in February this year, will be involved for the first time at the Big 5, but will have a significant showcase of seven firms: Australasian Granite, Clipsal Middle East, Panelware, Pilkington Australia - Decorated, Polyaire, Raven Products and Seeley International.

Australasian Granite is claimed to be the largest producer of large-dimension stone in Australia with quarries producing high-yield, high-quality granite rough for the domestic and export markets.

Manufactured by Gerard Industries in Australia, Clipsal products includes switches and sockets with unique features in a range of finishes, industrial weatherproof switches, low voltage switchgear, PVC conduits, lighting and integrated energy management/dimming systems. Clipsal is associated with projects including Hilton Hotel Dubai, Le Royal Meridien Jumeirah Beach and The Tower Dubai.

Panelware supplies an innovative new formwork system that is light, simple and totally reusable, making the on-site manufacture of tilt-up concrete wall panels the most cost-effective method for masonry construction.

Pilkington Australia - Decorated specialises in design and manufacture high-quality ceramic glass products for all applications, including architectural and appliance products.

Polyaire offers air-conditioning, ventilation, humidifying equipment, air filtration, space heating, dust and fume collection and extraction equipment, fans, blowers and plastic products for the building industry.

Raven is a leader in the design, manufacture and supply of all types of door and window seals including weather, acoustics, light, smoke and fire seals.

Seeley is a manufacturer and exporter of high-performance evaporative air cooling systems and machines for hot and dry regions. Products range from small residential air coolers to large industrial air coolers.