(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Middle East market is growing rapidly and the ongoing growth of the logistics industry in the region will stoke demand for materials handling solutions, a top industry specialist said.
The UAE logistics industry is set on a high-growth path, spurred by the huge amount of infrastructural and commercial projects either already underway or in the pipeline.
The UAE logistics industry is expected to be worth Dh37 billion by 2015, according to estimates by Frost & Sullivan. Overall, the GCC logistics sector is estimated at around $35 billion and Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman contribute an 85 per cent share.
Ahmed Pauwels"I think the economy is picking up not only in Dubai, but worldwide, particularly the Middle East and North Africa region, and that's the reason I see a big expansion possibility for each and every company in the logistics business," Ahmed Pauwels, chief executive officer of Epoc Messe Frankfurt, told Khaleej Times in an interview at the seventh edition of Materials Handling Middle East.
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world's leading trade show organisers, with ‚¬536.9 million in sales in 2012. The group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries. Events "made by Messe Frankfurt" take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. Last year, it organised 109 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany.
The portfolio of events for Epoc Messe Frankfurt in Dubai includes Automechanika Dubai, Beautyworld Middle East, Hardware+Tools Middle East, Intersec, Light Middle East, Paperworld Middle East, Playworld Middle East, and Materials Handling Middle East.
Pauwels mentioned that the current edition of the Materials Handling Middle East is the largest ever show in terms of floor space - 42 per cent bigger. It's around 80 per cent bigger than 2005, he added.
He said that the Middle East is the key market for materials handling and logistics providers. Talking about the UAE, he said the country has built on its locational advantages and invested strategically in building up world class logistical infrastructure, including top of the line airports, seaports, cargo handling terminals as well as surface transport networks of the highest quality.
"Today, Dubai is the unquestioned trade and logistics hub serving a region that houses a population of over two billion people," he added. According to the latest data, the emirate's foreign trade surged to Dh679 billion in the first half of 2013, recording a remarkable 16 per cent growth over the same 2012 period.
Pauwels expects around 10 per cent growth in visitor numbers this year compared to 3,000 recorded in the previous edition. Materials Handling Middle East in 2011 proved to be a successful exhibition with significant participation from trade visitors and positive feedback from the exhibitors. The exhibition is expected to attract visitors from logistics companies, commercial end-users, government organisations, wholesalers and retailers, ports and airlines and manufacturers, all of whom stand to benefit from the products, services and solutions on display.
Pauwels said that the retention rate is very high for the show. It's 80 per cent, which means that eight out of 10 exhibitors are coming back for the next edition, he explained. "The fact is that they come back with a bigger stand," he added.
He said exhibitors in general participate for two reasons - one is to maintain existing relations and two is to acquire new markets. This year, total exhibitors jumped by 26 per cent to 152 compared to 120 in 2011.
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