Bahrain is set to host a world-class buildings and interiors exhibition early next year, enabling the kingdom to benefit from the multi-billion-dinar construction boom in the region.

The Bahrain Convention and Exhibition Bureau (BCEB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bahrain-based Al Hilal Group, and dmg world media Dubai, UAE, to launch the Gulf Building and Interior Design, gulfBID 2006.
Organised by Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions – a division of the Al Hilal Group – and dmg world media Dubai and supported by the BCEB, the annual event will be held at Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). The first event will take place from May 16 to 18 next year.
gulfBID fills an important gap in Bahrain’s event calendar and will provide an excellent annual forum for the building, construction and interior design industries and trading companies to source for new building materials, furniture and furnishing services that are available around the world, said Industry and Commerce Ministry assistant under-secretary for Foreign Trade and BCEB deputy chairman Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa.
The event will also be an excellent annual forum for information exchange, networking and to obtain regular information on new trends and developments in the global building and construction and interiors industry, he added.
The exhibition is expected to attract experts and buyers from the Northern Gulf, in particular from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and other fast growing economies in the region.
“gulfBID is also a further milestone in the development of Bahrain’s position as a world-class exhibition destination and it is clearly a testimony for the kingdom’s growing importance as a marketing platform and springboard to the economies in the region,” said Shaikh Daij.
“The co-operation between the BCEB and the Al Hilal Group and dmg world media Dubai clearly demonstrates that close co-operation between public and private sector organisations across national borders will generate substantial benefits for all parties concerned. The Industry and Commerce Ministry is very keen to further develop the activities of the BCEB and is fully committed to the development of a comprehensive programme of professional trade shows organised in co-operation with local and international co-operation partners,” he added.
Such an exhibition is extremely important at a time when the Gulf region is implementing construction projects worth billions of dinars, said Ronnie Middleton, managing director of the Al Hilal Group.
gulfBID 2006 will cover the entire building process, from construction to interiors furnishings. The exhibition will provide trade professionals with increased penetration to the northern Gulf markets, said Bernard Walsh from dmg world media.  “Key industries to be served by the show include building and construction, water technology and environment, heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration, cleaning and maintenance and retail design and interior architecture and design,” he added.