Abu Dhabi , Feb 22nd, 2008 (WAM) - POWER-GEN Middle East celebrated its biggest and most successful event in Bahrain this month, with a 26% increase in visitors.
From 4th to 6th February, the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre played host to the exhibition and conference which received the leading industry professionals from the power and water industries of the Middle East and opened in style with traditional Ministerial welcome. Fahmi Bin Ali Al-Jowder, Minister for Works and Minister in Charge of the Bahrain Electricity and Water Authority provided the opening speech, followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the 7th annual POWER-GEN Middle East exhibition. Under the Patronage of H.H. Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa Prime Minister, Kingdom of Bahrain, POWER-GEN Middle East is the region's premier conference and exhibition for the power generation, transmission and distribution and water industries and was well attended by those wanting to update their knowledge and skills and see the latest industry developments and technologies. The 7th POWER-GEN Middle East aimed to discuss "The Challenges of Feeding a Growing Demand" in a region that is experiencing extraordinary growth in the demand for electricity and water resources. Glenn Ensor, Event Director of POWER-GEN Middle East, said, "PennWell is once again delighted to be staging this event in Bahrain, a country which has almost become our home in the Middle East. The support we have received from His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, allied to the excellent cooperation received from the Ministry of Works and the Bahrain Electricity and Water Authority has contributed greatly to the growth and success of PGME."The exhibition enjoyed a 30% increase in growth of exhibitors, with an exciting exhibition floor full of companies keen to demonstrate their new innovations in technology, products and services. The Gulf countries, benefiting from an economic boom driven by record oil prices, are spending billions of dollars on new infrastructure and industrial projects to diversify their economies and create jobs for their fast growing populations. This in turn is driving up demand for electricity and water and presenting unique challenges and a wealth of opportunities to the power and water sectors. There is an unprecedented volume of power and water infrastructure activity in the region, from genset manufacturers supplying the construction trade through to major power and water project development and an expansion and strengthening of transmission systems. With over 120 exhibitors, from over 50 countries exhibiting POWER-GEN Middle East has become the most important annual meeting place for international power executives with interests in the MENA region. The POWER-GEN Middle East conference also enjoyed growth with a 15% increase in conference delegates. The conference has been innovative in its creation of a dedicated conference track for the water sector, developing the conference into a three track event discussing strategic power, technical power and water industry related topics. An excellent line up of speakers and industry professionals delivered a broad range of presentations on topics and subjects covering the power and water industries, including regional assessments and spotlights on countries such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2008.
