gulfBID, the Northern Gulf’s leading international exhibition for construction, interiors and furniture, is set to be the largest ever when it opens this month (May 6 to 8).

Covering a total of 4,280 sq m of booked exhibition space, the event will feature the products and services of more than 200 exhibitors coming from 25 countries worldwide and is expected to attract a record number of visitors, according to the organisers.
Held under the patronage of Bahrain's Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the event will be staged across two halls at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIEC) – one dedicated to the Gulf Interiors and furniture section and the other to Gulf Construction, showcasing the latest technologies, materials and design concepts demanded by both burgeoning sectors. 
The show – now in its third edition – is a joint venture between Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions (HCE) Bahrain, which is part of the Al Hilal Group and dmg world media Dubai, the organiser of the highly successful Big 5 and Index shows in Dubai.
 “gulfBID has positioned itself as the leading construction event in the Northern Gulf and we are expecting a huge amount of visitors,” said managing director of Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions (HCE), Jubran Abdul Rahman.
“The show has also received excellent response, with some 22 companies having signed up in the last month alone.  One of the latest bookings for exhibition space has come from Kanoo Commercial, part of Y B A Kanoo, which will display its power generator sets over a 112 sq m island,” he adds.
Aimed at providing a platform to address the requirements of the booming construction and interiors sectors and the soaring demand for building materials and interior décor expertise, the show will bring together developers, contractors, surveyors, consultants, architects, designers, specifiers and suppliers.
The exhibition will act as a key meeting point for all professionals and investors in the construction industry as well as the design and furniture market.
“This show mirrors the construction boom in the region,” explains Abdul Rahman.
This year’s show is set to host a number of international pavilions representing countries eager to tap into the region’s dynamic construction and interiors industries. Organisers say there will be a strong presence from the UK, Greece, Malaysia, Turkey and New Zealand.
The show will also highlight Bahrain’s position as the gateway to Saudi Arabia’s construction and interiors markets, says Abdul Rahman, with scores of Saudi Arabian companies participating and more than 25 per cent of the exhibition's visitors coming from Saudi Arabia. 
“We're catering to the Saudi Arabian construction market. Bahrain acts as a gateway and Al Hilal, through its numerous publications, has been able to promote the event widely in the kingdom,” he says.
A series of seminars (see above) will also be conducted by key exhibitors, who will present information regarding their latest products and services at the Industry Forum Pavilion located in Hall 1 during day two and day three of gulfBID 08.
With high-profile business officials and industry professionals already confirming their participation, gulfBID is set to consolidate its role as the region’s most important business-to-business exhibition, he adds.