GULF Glass, the fourth glass machinery, equipment, materials and technology exhibition, will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi next month (March 7 to 9, 2011).
Billed as the only pan-Middle Eastern show for the entire glass industry, the exhibition boasts an international exhibitor presence and is expected to attract visitors from across the region and beyond, according to Gattaca, the event’s organiser.
From refractories and raw materials to container, flat and float glass manufacturing and processing technology, Gulf Glass provides the perfect one-stop platform for all those concerned with the sector, says Derek Burston, exhibition manager, Gulf Glass 2011.
The varied profile, breadth and quality of exhibitors are expected to attract a wide range of glass industry leaders across not just the Gulf region, but North and East Africa, the wider Middle East and even as far as India and Europe – all of whom see the UAE and Abu Dhabi in particular, as a highly emergent glass production and consumption base, he adds.
One of the exhibitors is Egyptian Glass Works, which owns a 35-per-cent stake in Misr Glass Manufacturing (MGM), a manufacturer and exporter of glass containers in the Middle East and North Africa that is now preparing to commission a container plant.
MGM has been an important player of container glass in the wider GCC region and over the years it has emerged as the region’s leading manufacturer of glass containers, investing approximately $54.5 million to upgrade its technology base and expand capacity.
The company is currently constructing its United Glass Company container-glass facility which will add 110,000 tonnes per year (tpy) of additional capacity. The first phase of the project is expected to be commissioned in 2011, with the second phase to follow in 2012.
Egyptian Glass Works also owns 51 per cent of Sphinx Glass, which is a state-of-the-art, $200 million greenfield float glass plant in Egypt.
“Such aggressive expansion in Egypt, is another clear indication that the container industry in the Middle East and Maghreb region is acquiring strategic dimensions,” said Burston.
Other key exhibitors include Arabian United Float Glass, BDF Industries, Benteler Maschinenbau, Condat, EME Maschinenfabrik Clasen, Emhart, Gimav, Glaston Corporation, Hegla, Horn Glass Industries, Iris Inspection Machines, IsraVision, Lisec, Mappi International, MSK Verpackungs, Saint Gobain Sefpro, Vesuvius and XPar Vision.
