Germany will set up its pavilion for the first time at SteelFab, the Middle East’s leading trade show for metal-working, metal-manufacturing and steel fabrication industry, to be held in Sharjah next year.

Ten major companies including Honsberg Metallsägen, Weicon & Company, August Rüggeberg, KG, Knuth Werkzeugmaschinen, Agtos Ges für tech. Oberflächensysteme, SLF Oberflächentechnik, Messer Cutting & Welding, AS Exclusiv, Kahrl & Wiemann’ Kaltenbach Maschinenfabrik & Company, have signed up for the show.

The SteelFab will take place at Expo Centre Sharjah from January 17 to 20. The German Engineering Federation (VDMA), the AUMA – the Federation of German Trade Fair Industry – and the Federal Ministry of Economics & Technology will organise the official German joint companies’ presence at the exhibition.

Germany is one of the world’s most important steel-producing nations with 45.8 million tonnes of crude steel in 2008.

With traditional export markets within the EU and in the US slowing in the aftermath of the downturn in construction, the UAE and indeed the wider GCC region still represents growing potential.

Germany and the UAE witnessed a 36 per cent rise in non-oil bilateral trade since 2006, said a top official.

“Real estate development may have slowed in some areas of the GCC, but major infrastructure projects worth billions of dollars and a rapidly growing population will continue to drive demand for steel and finished products,” said Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, director general of Expo Centre Sharjah.

The need for a designated pavilion is self-evident, given that Germany is the UAE’s fifth largest trade partner, as well as the largest from continental Europe. The value of non-oil trade between the two countries has risen from $6.188 billion in 2006 to $8.448 billion in 2009, a 36.5 per cent increase, according to UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade figures.

According to Al Midfa, a substantial number of German manufacturers have taken advantage of previous editions of SteelFab to promote their products regionally.

“Given the rise in trade between the UAE and Germany, it was a natural step for German companies to consolidate their presence under the umbrella of the German Engineering Federation,” he added.

The last edition of SteelFab held in January 2010 attracted over 6,000 trade visitors from the metal-working, metal manufacturing and steel fabrication industry and related segments. Over 150 direct exhibitors showcased more than 500 brands in a total exhibition area of 16,000 sq m.-TradeArabia News Service