As part of a long-term partnership, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry and CONNECT have announced two inaugural events, Middle East Design & Build Week (MEDBW) and Middle East Manufacturing & Technology Expo (MEMT). Both the physical events are scheduled to be held between 5 – 7 December 2022 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), UAE.
This announcement was made during a press conference held at the Chamber’s tower in Abu Dhabi, which was attended by Mr. Abdullah Ghurair Al Qubaisi, Deputy Director General of Abu Dhabi Chamber; Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director of Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau (ADCEB); Khalifa Al Qubaisi, Chief Commercial Officer of Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC); and Ashley Roberts from CONNECT. A large number of media representatives attended the press conference as well.
The events are supported by Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and other prominent government and regional bodies from the UAE.
In his opening speech, Mr. Al Qubaisi said that “Through these two prestigious events, which are the only events in the region dedicated to construction and manufacturing, we look forward to exploring different solutions in construction and design as well as manufacturing and advanced technology sectors. Through these two events, we will have the potential to identify the prospects of mutual cooperation and joint partnerships and to share experiences with the biggest international companies in this regard.”
He added that organizing the Middle East Design & Build Week and Middle East Manufacturing & Technology Expo in partnership with CONNECT translates the efforts of the Chamber to realizing the national industrial strategies by providing the necessary support for the private sector to be a key player in the fourth industrial revolution and to fortify the place of the UAE in general and Abu Dhabi in particular on the world map as a center for sciences and advanced industries over the next decade.
“The construction and manufacturing industries in the UAE are featured with all the tools necessary for growth and prosperity thanks to the long-term futuristic vision of the UAE’s wise leadership and the national strategies that are capable of making a paradigm shift in manufacturing projects, especially the “Made in Abu Dhabi” strategy that is aimed at providing an impetus to the industrial sector, boosting foreign trade and local investment in Abu Dhabi.
The government’s openness to international business, heavy investments in economic diversification plans and the region’s strategic location has created humungous business opportunities for regional and international companies across a range of industry verticals, especially in the construction and manufacturing industries,” he added.
Business Tourism
For his part, Mubarak Al Shamsi emphasized on the importance of launching the two events, which are the only events in the region that caters to the construction, manufacturing and technology sectors, pointing to them as amongst the key sectors on which the government is concentrating.
The Director of ADCEB stated that business tourism and events sector is the main engines for tourism and economic development in Abu Dhabi and that this sector offers the opportunity for businesses to meet and conclude deals, thus, more partnerships and increased rates of trade exchange.
Al Shamsi added that the ADCEB is a pioneering entity that supervises the development and promotion of business events throughout the emirate efficiently, effectively and transparently and in partnership with all its stakeholders. “Abu Dhabi is well known as an international business destination and a tourism hub. It is one of the most secure cities in the world and it is the perfect destination for organizing meetings, conferences and exhibitions while providing all the necessary precautionary measures for health and safety,” he said.
Khalifa Al Qubaisi noted that ADNEC as always strives to present a successful venue for MEDBW and MEMT, pointing out that the responsible teams of both events have already started coordinating with CONNECT to bring about perfect world-class events next year. “These two events will play a big role in boosting the joint work in hosting and organizing conferences and exhibitions, which will reflect positively to increasing the economic advantages to the sector of business tourism and the national economy as a whole.”
World Participation
Ashley Roberts from CONNECT has expressed his confidence in the success of economic events in Abu Dhabi, saying that amidst the enormous boom in the manufacturing and construction sectors, the UAE is a natural choice for event organizers to host world-class trade events. “Visiting or exhibiting at trade events such as MEDBW and MEMT will be an optimum way to explore and expand business in the rapidly emerging region. The events will provide a forum for international and local businesses to discuss investment and project opportunities, as well as bringing together decision makers from both the regional public and private sector,” he explained.
“Live events play a paramount role in offering a platform for connecting businesses, growing profits, networking, and keeping up with the trending subjects in the industry. With the support of our valued partners at Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry and key government bodies from the UAE, we are confident that both the events will foster positive meaningful engagement in the design, construction, manufacturing, and technology industries.”
Mr. Roberts pointed out that many counties have confirmed their participation at the events including Israel, Italy, Turkey, United Kingdom amongst others, expecting that both events will attract participation and delegation from across the world.
