Sharjah, May,2nd,2006 (WAM) -- The second edition of front, the only trade show in the region for doors, windows, walls, related equipment, accessories and machinery, and the fourth edition of Roof Middle East and Cladding Middle East, a showcaseof the emerging trends in roofing and cladding in the regional market,were inaugurated at Expo Centre Sharjah today by Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Mohammed Salem Al Mosharrekh - Expo Centre Sharjah Board Member, Mr. Saif Al Midfa - Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah, directors of various government departments, and members of the diplomatic corps and trade associations.

Roof Middle East and Cladding Middle East are being jointly organized by Expo Centre Sharjah and India-based Unitech Exhibition. Front, on the other hand, is an initiative of Expo CentreSharjah.

The exhibitions are together occupying two halls of Expo Centre Sharjahmeasuring 8,000 sq. m., and hosting more than 200 leading brands and over150 companies from 24 countries including from USA, UK, France, Austria,China, Australia, Germany, India, Belgium, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,Iran, United Kingdom, Turkey, Thailand, Sweden, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan,Finland, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.

"The fact that Front and the Roof & Cladding Middle East exhibitions arebeing held concurrently at a time when the regional construction industryis experiencing massive boom, assumes special significance," said Mr.

Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of SCCI, after the inauguration ceremony.

"The events are an excellent opportunity for global companies engagedin fenestration and facade as well as the roof and cladding sectors totap and curve out a share of the lucrative Middle East construction marketfrom a single platform," he added.

It is estimated that currently there are 1,400 on-going projects in theGulf region with a value of over USD $ 695 billion. The total constructionspend in the GCC, Iran, and Iraq, at present is around USD $ 294 billion.

Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa also said that for the regional constructionindustry, particularly construction companies, contractors, planners,property managers, engineers, design consultants, architects, and tradersfrom the sector, the event, besides being an ideal sourcing platform,was a perfect venue for networking and for familiarising themselves withthe latest advances that are taking place in the field of constructionrelated products and technology.

An important announcement that Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa made followingthe opening ceremony was regarding the launch of Conmex, a dedicated tradeshow for construction machinery, equipment, and vehicles. Mr. Midfa saidthat the four-day exhibition would be making its debut at Expo CentreSharjah on November 25, 2006.

Exhibits at the current edition of Front exhibition include the completerange of windows, doors (wooden, glass, aluminium, steel, automatic, cranedoors etc..), grills, gates, shutters and sun protection, sun blinds andawnings, louver blinds, interior roller blinds, glass and glass products,paints and chemicals, door operating devices, roller blinds, drives anddrive technology, raw materials, components and machinery, accessories,working and business safety, wall coverings, and locks and access controlsystems.

Displays at the Roof Middle East and Cladding Middle East exhibitionsfocus on roofing systems, architectural cladding, structural glazing,curtain walling, fa?ade engineering, metal building systems, skylightsand domes, waterproofing, and insulation material.

The Roof and Cladding exhibitions had made their debut in Mumbai, India,in 2003. They were subsequently held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2004,and again in Mumbai in 2005.

"The Front, Roof Middle East and Cladding Middle East exhibitions arethe region's only focused and dedicated trade events for doors, windows,walls, roofing and cladding products, related equipment, accessories andmachinery, thereby making them completely different from other trade showsthat are aimed towards the regional construction industry," said Mr. SaifAl Midfa, Director General, Expo Centre Sharjah.

"It is estimated that in the UAE alone over USD $ 81 billion will be investedin property development in the next 10 years. The massive demand for products,technologies and solutions related to the construction sector in the comingyears can therefore very well be anticipated. These events, besides beinga one-stop sourcing hub for the Middle East construction companies, willplay a key role in integrating the region's expanding construction sectoron a single platform," he added.

Given the very focused profile, the Front, Roof Middle East and CladdingMiddle East exhibitions, will attract architects, engineers, consultants,planners, interior designers, importers, contractors, traders, propertymanagers, investors, and government officials from across the Middle Eastin large numbers.

A major attraction of the exhibitions are the seminars and product presentationsthat will be held on the sidelines. To be addressed by key players inthe regional construction industry, the seminars and conferences willthrow light on the latest innovations in construction related productsand technologies and address concerns facing the sector.