With space booking levels having already reached 95 per cent almost two months prior to the show, gulfBID promises to be the largest building and interior design expo in the northern Gulf and one of Bahrain’s milestone events, says a spokesman for the organiser.

gulfBID, the Gulf’s international exhibition for building and interior design, will showcase the products and services of more than 120 companies from all around the world, when it debuts at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre next month (May 16 to 18).
“We are introducing the region’s biggest construction and interior design exhibition for the northern Gulf states,” says Abdulla Shafeea, general manager of Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions (HCE). “gulfBID is attracting significant interest from regional and international exhibitors and two months away from the event, almost all spaces have been sold out, with extensive demand from all around the world.”
“We are seeing a strategic shift in the exhibitions and convention sector into the northern Gulf underpinned by strong growth across the Middle East. Increasingly, Bahrain is re-emerging as a leading exhibition and conference hub for the region in parallel to Dubai,” he continues. “Importantly, with the heightened activity in building, construction and interior design taking place in Bahrain as well as Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, Kuwait and Qatar, gulfBID is well set to establish itself as the key exhibition platform for Bahrain, Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and the northern Gulf.
gulfBID exhibition is a joint venture between dmg world media and HCE. The exhibition also draws the support of two of Dubai’s best-selling exhibitions – the Big 5 and Index – which are organised every year by dmg world media Dubai, and attract several thousands of exhibitors from around the world, says Shafeea.
dmg world media dubai managing director Bernard Walsh said that gulfBID would be based on those exhibitions and was eventually expected to become the third largest industry event in the region. “We are beginning by using only one hall, but we expect the exhibition to grow rapidly every year,” he says. dmg is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Britain’s Daily Mail & General Trust.
At a recent press conference, HCE chairman Anwar Abdulrahman said that Bahrain’s geographic location as a neighbour to Saudi Arabia would benefit exhibitors greatly: “Our proximity to an economy which is the industrial powerhouse in the region and which is home to over 27 million people, provides exhibitors with unmatched access to the region’s most important market, which is just 45 minutes away by road,” he says. “Within Bahrain itself, we are also witnessing massive growth and development, especially in the property and construction sectors. Never before has the kingdom witnessed so many multi-billion-dollar projects.”
HCE managing director Ronnie Middleton said the event was attracting exceptional interest. “The UK government has even agreed to financially support companies who want to take part in the exhibition,” he said.
In addition to Gulf exhibitors, organisers have also received bookings from companies from the UK, Korea, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Germany, Spain and Italy.
Bahrain’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry are also extending their support to the event, Middleton added.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry’s efforts to market Bahrain abroad had encouraged Al Hilal Group to invest in Bahrain’s future as a regional exhibition hub, Abdulrahman said.
The expo aims to provide an ideal platform for showcasing a wide range of products serving the construction sector including building materials, heating and cooling technologies, water technologies and environment, flooring, cleaning and maintenance, glass and aluminium, roofing and cladding, real estate, architectural and engineering.
It will also feature interior design products and services including design, furniture, fabrics, wall coverings, lighting, bathrooms and kitchens, artworks and accessories, as well as marble and stonework.
gulfBID is targeting the northern Gulf building and interiors market and has a strong potential to service the Iraqi and Iranian markets, says Shafeea.
With the high exhibitor interest being shown to gulfBID, Shafeea is confident of strong visitor traffic backed by extensive media and marketing campaigns in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.
“Targeted at professionals, the business community and trade visitors, gulfBid is expected to see strong visitor delegations from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, reflecting the perceived strength of the event and its importance to the building and interiors sector at a time of intense construction activity, procurement and project development including Durrat Al Bahrain, Al Areen, Bahrain Bay and Bahrain Financial Harbour as well as projects across the region,” Shafeea concludes.