The Italian pavilion at this year’s Big 5 will truly reflect the growing interest shown by Italian companies in playing a larger role in the booming markets of the region.

If numbers are anything to go by, the Italians are certainly up there as one of the largest participants at the show.
Swelling to more than 250 companies, the Italian pavilion has grown considerably over last year’s presence of 222 companies and will display the latest that it has to offer for the construction sector, says Italian Trade Commissioner Dr Ferdinando Fiore.
“Since the birth of the Big 5 show, Italian companies have been major participants in the show and have continually grown in number,” says Fiore. “This year, our companies will offer their latest in terms of products and services – be it building and construction machineries, cleaning and maintenance products and equipments, water and environmental technologies, ceramics, glass and metal products, or project management and consultancy.
Italian exhibitors – mainly grouped in Hall 5 and in Sheikh Rashid Hall – will cover an area of 4,137.5 sq m and will also include several consortia, chambers of commerce and associations. “In terms of exhibitors, the Italian pavilion is expected to be the biggest by far this year,” he adds.
This year, the Italian Trade Commission has also planned to set up an information stand at an institutional level, apart from two catalogues stands, to help Italian firms to penetrate the market.
Fiore explains: “The institutional information stand, grouping all the Italian institutions devoted to promoting the internationalization of SMEs under the umbrella of the Ministry of Productive Activities and called “Flying Desk”, will provide the participating Italian companies with vital information on how to penetrate the local and regional market. At the catalogues stand, the Italian Trade Commission will distribute brochures of Italian companies that did not have the chance to exhibit in the show. Another catalogues stand is organised in cooperation with GIMAV – the Italian Association for Glass Processing Machinery and Accessory Suppliers.”
Commenting on the market, Fiore continues: “Latest statistics show that the construction sector is an integral part of the UAE development plans. Global construction spending is expected to increase by more than 5 per cent annually over the next four years. However, over the past decade, the UAE’s construction sector has grown at an impressive annual rate of 11 per cent, reaching Dh25.4 billion in 2004, with Dubai and Sharjah leading the race of real estate development projects.”
“In addition, the new wave of high-billing construction activities that have been launched in Abu Dhabi and the other emirates, are expected to boost construction sector spending over the next few years. Considerable impetus has been given to the real estate market by the initiative by Dubai and Abu Dhabi to allow foreigners to purchase freehold properties, which will provide increasing opportunities for Italian companies to showcase their state-of-the-art products and services for the housing sector. This aside, the expansion of commercial and hospitality activities in the country will also offer chances to Italian companies to increase their investments and presence in the UAE market,” he adds.
Speaking on the business volumes achieved by Italian companies in regional markets in the recent past, he continues: “Italian exports to the UAE in 2004 have amounted to 2.1 billion euro ($2.5 billion), showing an increase of 9.7 per cent when compared to the figures in 2003. The trend has continued and in the first six months of this year, Italian exports to the UAE have risen to 1.1 billion euro, registering a growth of 12.59 per cent in comparison with the same period last year (See Chart 1).”
“About 80 Italian companies have offices and are operating in the UAE in various fields: oil and gas technology and exploitation; civil engineering, consulting and contracting; energy engineering; banking; airline and shipping lines; trading (marble, furniture, heavy and construction equipment and vehicles, foodstuff); steel production and refrigeration,” says Fiore.
The large participation at the Big 5 show is supported by the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE), which aims at intensifying business opportunities and reinforcing the image of “Made in Italy” brand all around the world through participation in international exhibitions, trade missions, workshops and other initiatives in cooperation with Italian regional governments and sector associations.
The Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE), established in 1926, is a governmental agency tasked with the promotion and development of trade and industrial co-operation between Italy and the rest of the world. The organisation is also responsible for encouraging the internationalisation of Italian companies, in particular among the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and helping them to establish themselves in foreign markets.
Headquartered in Rome, the organisation constantly exchanges information with its network of 16 regional offices in Italy and more than 100 offices worldwide.
The Italian Trade Commission in Dubai, covering Bahrain, Oman and Qatar, promotes bilateral trade, giving assistance and consultancy to both Italian and local companies and organising promotional initiatives like trade delegations to Italy and to the UAE, symposia, workshops, official participations at exhibitions, market surveys, etc,” he concludes.