Algeria to Showcase its Construction Industry at INTERMAT Middle East Conferences

Exhibition’s Inaugural Edition to Also Have Conference on Crane Productivity and Safety as the North African Country Unveils $286 Billion Five-year Infrastructure Spending Plan

Dubai-UAE: 28 February, 2011 – Clarion Events Middle East and S.E. INTERMAT today announced two conferences to be held during the first edition of INTERMAT Middle East, the international exhibition for machinery, materials and equipment for construction and infrastructure.

The conferences, to be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) centre in Abu Dhabi - which is the venue for INTERMAT Middle East from March 28 to 30, 2011 - will have Algeria as their focus and draw attention to the North African country’s five-year investment plan for construction. In addition, the conferences will focus on how companies can improve crane productivity and safety at construction sites. 

Maryvonne Lanoë, Exhibition Manager, said: “INTERMAT Middle East provides an ideal networking platform for infrastructure, business development and growth, as required by various countries in the region. The event will attract an array of investors and leading construction and machinery companies from the Middle East, making it the ideal place to be for those in the construction industry.”

Held with the support of Algerian authorities, the first conference will take place from 10:30am to 12:30pm on March 29, 2011. The Algerian delegation, consisting of government members and key decision makers from leading construction companies, will present its national five-year investment plan for construction during the conference.

According to a recent interview conducted by the International Monetary Fund Survey Magazine with Joël Toujas-Bernaté, the IMF’s mission chief for Algeria, the Algerian economy is highly dependent on its oil and gas resources, which account for 98 per cent of its exports. This makes the country vulnerable to negative shocks on oil prices. Consequently, in May 2010, the Algerian government approved a $286 billion five-year investment plan aiming to boost infrastructure and wean the country’s economy away from oil dependency.

During the conference Algerian delegates will unveil the 2010-2014 economic and social development plan, consisting of $156 billion worth of investments in new projects and $130 billion spending on existing programs, including the completion of rail, road and water projects. The new projects include infrastructure for public works, transport, health and education services and 2 million new housing units, with funds also being directed towards providing incentives for the agricultural sector.

Featuring keynote speeches, presentations and debates, the event will be marked by the presence of various members of the General Association of the Algerian Contractors and its Chairman, Mouloud Kheloufi.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet influential policymakers, contractors and investors to discuss the latest developments in the industry as well as prospects in the region. The conference will provide an opportunity to form new business relationships with numerous Algerian contractors.

Maud Carcy, Communications Director, INTERMAT, said: “We are pleased to have such high-profile individuals participating at INTERMAT Middle East. Algeria is investing a significant amount of money in infrastructure, and the country’s participation with high functionaries underlines their will of finding new worldwide partners in providing know-how and technological support for their national construction industry.”

The second conference, due to take place on 30 March 2011 from 10:30 am to 12:30 am, will highlight how companies can improve crane productivity and safety, as they are the most important pieces of equipment at many construction sites. The conference will present the latest technological advances made in crane hardware, software and communication systems used to coordinate the crane operator’s actions. It will act as a platform to share experiences and expertise on international cranes and anti-collision devices amongst manufacturers, site managers of leading contracting companies and local government representatives from the Gulf region.

Exhibiting organisations at INTERMAT Middle East include: Liebherr, Hyundai, Al Wasit Machinery, Doosan Heavy Industries, Doosan-Bobcat, Kanoo Group, Shantui Machinery, Manitowoc, Schwing-Stetter, Al Laith Scaffolding, Metso Minerals, Sateco, Hytec, German Plant Experience LLC, Sigma Enterprises, Paclite, Bartell, Ceseo, CreteAngle, Wanco, Barfor, Rotair, Auto Tan, Almig, Cattaneo, Mitas, Platform Basket, Sunward, Tuckerbilt, Yongmao, HIFI Filter, ArcGen Hilta, Rapid, Locatelli, Tum-Mak, Goldola, Halco Rock Tools, TGS, Techking Tires, Sichuan Construction, Matrix, Samyoung Plant, BV Beko, Tezman Machinery and Jura Filtration, among others.

INTERMAT Middle East is co-located with the Arabian Construction Week and the World Ports and Trade Summit. The Arabian Construction Week consists of three dedicated trade shows: Green Building Middle East, Future Build Middle and Civil Engineering Middle East. In addition, it will also host four international summits, including Building Smart, which will address interoperability delivered by building information modeling processes, The Green Building Summit, the Climate Control Summit in association with ASHRAE, and the Infrastructure Summit.