Zaker Trading, the sole UAE distributor for the world-leading AEG Power Tools, expects a 20 per cent growth in regional demand for power tools in 2010, said a top official of the company.

“Last year, the downturn affected the construction sector and consequently, the power tools industry, since many projects were either put on hold or cancelled,” said M George Oommen, managing director of Zaker Trading.

“However, the recent spurt of activities across the region’s oil & gas and infrastructure industries has revitalized the industry and are presenting us with great opportunities to balance the deficit,” he added.

Speaking at a high-profile event unveiling the brand strategy of AEG Power Tools in Dubai recently, Oommen said that the UAE and Saudi Arabia continued to lead the regional demand for professional power tools.

“More than 80 per cent of our products are used for construction and oil and gas sectors but we see a strong market in DIY home-users,” he said.

“Thanks to the introduction of new technologies such as Li-Ion batteries and cordless tools, we are now well-positioned to provide solutions that can offer total safety and convenience both to industrial as well as home-users,” Oommen concluded.

Accelerating developments in the GCC oil & gas and infrastructure sectors over the past few months are pushing the demand for heavy-duty professional power tools in the Middle East, which reported a 35 per cent slump in sales last year, said a statement.

The GCC power tools market is valued at over Dh600 million ($163 million), with the UAE alone accounting for Dh150 million, the statement added. – TradeArabia News Service