Committed expenditure for electricity projects in Middle East has been unaffected by the global crisis as governments have realised that expansion of generation capability, in line with rising population and manufacturing growth, are key to development, said an expert.

“The power industry as a whole is incredibly active on all fronts, with investment showing no sign of slowing - in fact, the trend is actually for increased spending,” said Sarah Woodbridge, group director - Exhibitions, IIR Middle East - organisers of the Middle East Electricity Exhibition (MEE).

A leading energy event in the region, MEE runs from February 8 to 10 at Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

“This is evident from the fact that the MEE is completely sold out and that we already have an all-time record number of pre-registrations from energy industry professionals and decision makers,” she added.

A recent study by Global strategic management consultants AT Kearney said the Middle East required over $500 billion investment in electricity infrastructure to facilitate economic growth in the coming years, Woodbridge pointed out.

"They also raise the threat that lags in infrastructure planning can result in - increasing supply-demand imbalances, power outages and soaring electricity prices," Woodbridge noted.

"Furthermore, they estimate that similar investments for potable water, waste water treatment and district cooling will also have to be considered," she added.

The report also said that the additional generation capacity needed was potentially underestimated - while economic growth in the Middle East is expected to be in the region of 7 per cent, the buildup of generation capacity is only 4 per cent per annum.

Countries are also running out of oil and need to secure their energy supply for the future, meaning that alternative sources of energy, particularly solar and nuclear power are also focus areas for significant investment, she said, citing the study.

Nuclear energy is another alternative power source that is now a serious option for countries across the region.

The UAE has signed a bilateral agreement for the cooperative development of civilian nuclear energy to help the emirate meet its future electricity needs.

The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission also recently signed an agreement with China to aid them in enriching and mining uranium, and Iran has tabled a proposal to develop nuclear power plants jointly with other Gulf states, she added.

MEE will witness massive global representation, including country pavilions that feature the world’s energy industry leaders - around forty French companies, including Sagem, Socomec, SDMO and the Sicame Group, covering a wide range of products and services including electricity generators, transport and distribution equipment, lighting systems and electrical modelling software.

Massey Ferguson will also be among the many international exhibitors at the show, displaying their Power Series generating sets, and unveiling, for the first time, their brand new Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) with programmable digital controller for mains failure applications plus an AGCO SISU POWER standby Diesel engine under the new AGCO SISU POWER branding.

“For us, MEE is our most significant exhibition for years, reflected by the fact that our stand will be manned by senior sales and technical staff from the factory,” said Andrew Ridley, sales manager, Massey Ferguson Power Series.

“MEE not only serves the important local markets of Dubai and the Emirates but is a magnet for buyers and distributors from across the entire region - our distributors from as far afield as Africa and the Indian sub-continent will be inviting their customers to attend,” he remarked.

German company Hedrich winding systems, a subsidiary of Hedrich vacuum systems, will present fully automated solutions