EPOC MESSE FRANKFURT EYES SAUDI MARKET; LEADING GERMAN TRADE FAIR AND CONFERENCE ORGANISER PLANS SECURITY- RELATED EVENT IN RESPONSE TO GROWING DEMAND

Building on the remarkable success enjoyed by the recent Intersec trade fair and conference in Dubai and in

response to the tremendous interest in safety and security from Saudi Arabia’s trade visitors and exhibitors,

leading exhibition organiser Epoc Messe Frankfurt is exploring the opportunities for a foray into the GCC’s

largest market.

One of the world’s leading trade fair and conference organisers, Messe Frankfurt is looking at entering the

Saudi market with the launch of a security-related trade show to complement the well established Intersec

brand. This is part of the company’s corporate strategy to expand its presence in the region, with a series of

highly-targeted trade events.

“The Saudi Arabian market is among the most significant of the wider Middle East region,” said Ahmed

Pauwels, Chief Executive Officer of Epoc Messe Frankfurt based in Dubai. “With our considerable experience

of organising trade events in this part of the world, we realise the tremendous potential and scope for growth

that a security-related event would have.”

“Drawing on the feedback received from our many Saudi partners and trade visitors and the in-depth

research conducted by our marketing teams, the time seems right to expand our reach into the GCC’s largest

economy,” Pauwels added.

According to research, the cumulated Saudi market for homeland security, forecasted to become the largest

in the world after the United States, is expected to be worth around $97 billion in the 2010-2018 period. The

Gulf giant is set to be the focus of global manufacturers and suppliers of safety and security systems. With the

new trade event, Messe Frankfurt aims to provide a platform to facilitate trade and the exchange of ideas for

manufacturers, suppliers and service providers representing this huge marketplace.

“The Middle East region, and Saudi in particular, is set to figure prominently in the marketing plans of leading

players in the safety, security and policing field in the near future,” said Pauwels. “Security needs are huge,

with vast new government and corporate infrastructure on the cards. There is also the ongoing need to

provide a safe and secure environment for the vital oil, gas and petrochemical industrial complex.”

“Increasing concerns over safety and security issues is driving up spending on security technology worldwide.

Countries of the Arabian peninsula are expected to spend around AED 7.71 billion on security-related systems

and equipment in 2013, making this a key market for global safety and security systems manufacturers and

service providers,” Pauwels stated.

Epoc Messe Frankfurt currently organises 9 highly-acclaimed trade shows in the region. As part of the plan

to expand its footprint in the Middle East, the company is constantly assessing and gaining feedback from its

partners and associates in the market in order to better serve exhibitors and to explore new potential avenues.