Priding itself on being the premier industrial trade show of the Northern Gulf — the fifth Gulf Industry Fair (GIF) 2012 promises to be the best showcase for industry innovation and innovators. The event expects 110 companies from 20 countries to attend, marking the event as ideal for business-to-business (B2B) industry trade gathering.

The GIF will bring conventional upstream, downstream and midstream energy companies face-to-face with international specialists — from reservoir technology experts to process control developers and pipeline maintenance engineers.

Other industrial segments to be covered include aluminium, machine tools, industrial equipment, automation, steel, energy, logistics and manufacturing. The fair will also provide a unique opportunity for the operators of industrial areas, ports and free zones to meet an interested market of decision-makers in the manufacturing and distribution sectors.

Among the dedicated zones is the Aluminium Zone; headed by ALBA, it and will featurie key downstream companies including ITSS, Garmco, BALEXCO, Ameeri Industries and Turk Mechanical. The Energy Zone will be headed by the National Oil and Gas Authority in association with Bapco and will also host global players such as Chevron and Skaugen Gulf. The Ports and Logistics Zone is led by the General Organisation of Sea Ports of Bahrain and is backed up by Bahrain Logistics Zone, Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard and Baytik Industrial Investments.

In keeping with energy industry trends, the exhibition also features companies that specialise in solar, wind and nuclear technologies, as well as inventors of ‘smart grid’ energy management systems, all of which are geared to powering the GCC’s future industrial growth.

The 2012 show promises to broaden the exhibitor spectrum and will also host a forum; the second in the series. The forum will feature influential personalities from government, industry and business, laying out their visions for the long-term economic prosperity of Bahrain and the Gulf region, under the theme ‘The Future is Industry’. The interactive discussion’s topics will include powering industrial development and developing SME’s market innovation and creating industrial and manufacturing business.

The future is bright
Along with shaping the region’s industrial landscape, the GCC’s industrial giants are also preparing their human resources for the technological, operational and economic challenges of tomorrow. This makes the GIF 2012 the ideal stage on which training institutions and organisations can showcase their programmes. Having the potential to absorb significant numbers of graduates, students wishing to enter the field can browse through the available vocational courses, internships and initiatives. Call 17 299-123.