Arabia Essen Welding & Cutting, Tekno Arabia and Tube Arabia, the 3-in-1 show, which concluded in Dubai yesterday, has won strong industry support for forming an Arab Tubes and Pipes Association.

Organisers of the show said that with the additional pipeline networks in GCC requiring over 5.3 million tons of steel pipes in the next five years, which is equivalent to $7.2 billion, an association is needed to regulate this rapidly increasing sector.

Latest industry figures show that the GCC accounts for 34 per cent of global demand for pipes. Moreover, according to World Energy Council, GCC needs to invest up to $100 billion over this decade to meet the growing energy demand.

A big chunk of these investments go to expanding the pipes and tubes networks that serve the oil and gas sector, in addition to other allied sectors such as utilities and transport.

The proposed association would help unify the Gulf's tubes, pipes and steel industries, and boost cooperation in logistic operations, human resource development and standards of their products in international markets.

The organisers, Al Fajer Information & Services (AFIS), Messe Essen and Messe Dusseldorf, said that the success of the shows was clear evidence of the maturity of the pipes, tubes and welding industries in the Mena region in terms of demand and supply.

Satish Khanna, general manager, AFIS said: “Tekno and Tube Arabia displayed a vast range of industrial machinery, metalworking, machine tools, dies/moulds, tubes, and pipes. The event, which attracted a cross-section of the world's tube and pipe customers, is the oldest show in the region and is regarded as the ideal gateway to the extremely important Gulf and Middle East markets.”

As for the tube industry, the GCC and Middle East are proving to be increasingly attractive markets for international tube manufacturers, he added.

Some of the growth sectors include oil and gas technology, petrochemicals, water and electricity supply, drainage as well as construction. Huge investments by the government as well as private sector have been made in this sector and more are in the pipeline.

Exhibitors in Arabia Essen Welding & Cutting included manufacturers of welding equipment, consumables and accessories as well as traders of fume extraction devices, pool monitoring systems, seam measurement and evaluation devices and automated for lattice work girders, among others. – TradeArabia News Service