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Region’s Premier Environmental Trade Highlights Abu Dhabi’s Role As Catalyst For Environmental Initiatives


Participants compliment successful conduct of ENVIRONMENT Exhibition & Conference in the UAE capital










The Environment 2009 Exhibition and Conference which was held successfully at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) last month has received impressive feedback from participants who attended the three-day event which took place under the patronage of HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. 256 exhibitors from 28 countries showcased a range of water, waste and air quality management solutions over a gross exhibit space of 10,000 sqm. Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Switzerland and China hosted national pavilions at ENVIRONMENT 2009. Organized by Reed Exhibitions Middle East, the event took place 19 – 21 January 2009 and was co-located with the World Future Energy Summit (WFES 2009). The combined visitor count at both events was 16,820 (95 countries). Of these, over 6,000 visitors attended ENVIRONMENT 2009. H.E. Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment & Water inaugurated the specialized conference on ”Sustainable Management for Coastal Zones” which took place in parallel with the exhibition. The conference featured thirty prominent speakers from across the globe including government and private sectors in the UAE all presenting their insights and strategies to combat coastal degradation across the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. The conference was organized by Reed in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW). Several exhibitors at the show voiced their optimism at the manner in which the MENA region was making steady progress in investing in environmental-friendly technologies and solutions. Participants at the show also reiterated that Abu Dhabi was the ideal destination in the region to stage this exhibition and conference given the numerous initiatives, led by Masdar, that the Abu Dhabi Government is pioneering. According to Salem Al Qasimi, Associate Planner, Estidama, a unique approach by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) aimed at attaining cutting-edge levels of groundbreaking sustainability through innovation, “UPC has used its inaugural participation at the show to unveil its Estidama Integrative Design Process (EIDA), a pioneering urban development benchmark designed to embed sustainability practices in the conceptual phases of construction, tourism, educational, civic, commercial, residential, and infrastructure projects planned across the emirate”. “The ENVIRONMENT show was well-organized and served as a key platform for us to interact, engage and get more insight from the market. The launch of EIDA has received considerable interest from visitors who were keen to know more about how EIDA is going to transform Abu Dhabi into the region’s flagship sustainable city”, Al Qasmi said. James Hartnell, Director of Marketing, Sharjah Environment Company (Bee’ah), noted that there was a crying need in the region for intergrated environmental solutions that help legislate, regulate, control, and preserve the environment. “2009 marks our debut participation at ENVIRONMENT and our experience over the course of the event has shown that this has been a worthwhile investment for us. The feedback we received during the three days was phenomenal and we have received firm expressions of interest from government entities, local, regional and international companies and organizations keen to have our environmental solutions and models implemented at their premises. We look forward to the upcoming editions of ENVIRONMENT with great enthusiasm.” International exhibitors also received considerable interest from trade visitors at their stands. Sophie Diebold, Project Manager, Environment sector, UBIFrance, organizers of the French pavilion said that 2009 marked the fourth successive time that a pavilion from France was being organized at the show. “French companies taking part were happy with the organization of the show and the quality of visitors who attended. The region is paying great attention to the environment and Abu Dhabi is the ideal place to stage any events related to environment. The fact that this year’s show was co-located with WFES (World Future Energy Summit) has also raised the profile of the ENVIRONMENT show”, she said. According to Naemi Judith Denz, Project Manager of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), organizers of the German Pavilion at the show, “The region possesses a rapidly expanding market for environmental services and a show such as ENVIRONMENT is an important opportunity to network with peers. The event has succeeded in attracting a number of visitors. Officials from government agencies, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), environmental agencies, policy makers, auditors and managers of emissions regulatory authorities, educators and environmentalists, corporate and municipal planners, professionals and decision-makers from energy, water management, waste management, pollution treatment and recycling sectors attended ENVIRONMENT 2009. Among the high-profile visitors who visited ENVIRONMENT 2009 were Matthias Machnig, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for the Environment, representing German Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel and Jean-Louis Borloo, French Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development. SUEZ Environment, Casella Management Ltd., YSI Inc., KRT Sewer Rehabilitation Technology FZE, MRT System International AB and Ros Roca were among the 182 international exhibitors at the show. Seventy-four UAE exhibitors including ADNOC, Aldar, Dulsco, Dome Oilfield Engineering & Services and Dubai Municipality took part. ADNOC was the platinum sponsor of ENVIRONMENT 2009. Gold sponsors were the Department of Municipal Affairs and Intercare. Other sponsors include Aldar, Total, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) and EMAL. ENVIRONMENT will be held annually from the upcoming edition with the next edition of the show set to take place 18 – 21, January 2010 together with the World Future Energy Summit (WFES). WFES was recently acquired by Reed Exhibitions.

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