ABU DHABI, 9th March, 2023 (WAM) — Walking the bustling show floor at this year’s Middle East Energy exhibition at Dubai World Trade Centre painted a perfect picture of the international importance of this week’s 48th edition.
The three-day show recorded not only cross-continental partnerships, but significant growth in the number of national pavilions – many of which posted triple-digit floor space increases – as well as participating suppliers jumping considerably and the number of representatives from visiting countries exceeding 130.
Middle East Energy, which ran from 7th-9th March, is the region’s leading exhibition for exploring the plans and policies set to shape the future energy outlook of the Middle East, as well as educating attendees on the state of play of the sector. On Thursday’s final day, Business France Middle East, the organising body for the country’s presence in Dubai this week, revealed the French Pavilion had recorded a 154 percent increase in exhibiting companies compared to last year.
The considerable year-on-year attendance increase is a clear indication of the importance of France within the region’s energy industry, said Axel Baroux, French Trade and Invest Commissioner and Managing Director of Business France Middle East. “We support the UAE’s ambitious green diversification programme through our expertise in energy production, transmission, and distribution, and are excited to showcase the latest innovations in the sector.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Türkiye Pavilion revealed it had brought double the number of companies present last year, with its 88 exhibiting companies putting the country behind only China in terms of size and exhibitor numbers. The China Pavilion has itself seen significant growth both in participating companies and floor space – compared to 2022, exhibitors from China have risen from 37 to nearly 200, resulting in a 340 percent increase, while floor space has grown from 475sqm to 2,936sqm, a nearly 520 percent increase.
Sufu Peng, Managing Director at MAXGE Electric Technology, said the global reach of Middle East Energy is key to his business.
Azzan Mohammed, Exhibition Director, Energy Portfolio – MEA at Informa, the event organisers, said the increased international presence demonstrates the “global stature” of this year’s show.
“As well as a significant increase in visitor numbers, this year’s Middle East Energy has also recorded a substantial increase in international participation,” Mohammed said. “This year’s exhibition involved 19 standalone national pavilions, 57 exhibiting countries, and representatives from 132 countries. We were always expecting growth, given the past two years were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the sheer rise in participation has been beyond expectations, driving home the global stature and international importance of Middle East Energy.”