UK companies are being urged to take part in WETEX 2018 - the upcoming Water, Energy, Technology & Environment Exhibition which takes place in Dubai in October - in order to win their share of massive £multi-billion business opportunities on offer in the Middle East region.

Over 18 years, WETEX has established itself as one of the largest and most important specialised exhibitions in the region and WETEX 2018 looks set to build on last year’s record numbers of over 24,500 visitors from 47 countries and 1,950-plus exhibitors.

The exhibition has become a leading global event and key platform that brings together exhibitors, visitors, experts, specialists, decision makers, and investors interested in the water, energy and environment sectors.

In the run up to WETEX 2018, Dr Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at the Dubai Water and Energy Authority (DEWA) which organises the show, said that DEWA is actively on the lookout for international partners and innovative ideas. DEWA also believes that the quality of services and products that UK companies in particular can provide could support the development of DEWA’s technology strategies.

Participating companies will get the opportunity to connect directly at business to business meetings with key decision makers to discuss their area of interests, get their technologies or services seen and find out how to take advantage of business opportunities on offer.

Exhibitors at the show can take advantage of a three day agenda of back-to-back meetings with key officials and decision makers in both Government and private sector organisations to talk about upcoming projects and winning new business. One of the key goals of the show is not just to provide companies with a presence at WETEX but also to help exhibitors to turn this into successful relationships going forward – whether via Memorandum of Understanding, invitations to tender or signing contracts.

Leading global consultancy Atkins has a strong presence in the region, which generates one third of its global revenues. Atkins said opportunities exist for a wide range of sectors, including consultancy, maintenance, construction, equipment manufacturers, legal and financial services.

The United Arab Emirates is the UK’s 12th largest trading partner, and UK exports to the Gulf region were £20 billion in 2015. In finance, UK firms represent 15 per cent of the regulated financial firms in the Dubai International Financial Centre.

And the opportunities on offer are not just in terms of building new power and water assets – they also extend also to projects related to the privatisation of existing assets.

The UK and the UAE already have strong trade and investment links - about 5,000 UK businesses operate in the UAE and more than 100,000 British nationals live in the country. The UAE is the UK’s 12th largest trading partner, and UK exports to the Gulf region were £20 billion in 2015.

Companies can find themselves working on projects which are often the most exciting, the biggest or first-ever in the world – for example, the largest waste to energy plant in the world is in Dubai.

According to David Haboubi, Head of Nuclear, UAE from Atkins, the array of opportunities on offer means often the hardest job is knowing where to focus.

In his view, working on such projects is reputation building in itself and carries a great deal of weight for winning future opportunities. Whichever role a company plays “your name gets recognised” – key to putting expertise and capabilities in front of decision makers.

However, whether companies are looking to enter the booming marketplace, or further strengthen their existing position, developing ongoing relationships with decision makers in both the Government and private sector is key to winning business and events like WETEX offer a significant opportunity.

David Haboubi said:

“Events like WETEX are in my view critical to getting those relationships going and getting yourself known. I would genuinely recommend people having an active involvement and sticking with it.”

“With market entry, don’t expect results instantly, it will take a while. You need to invest in your presence to develop a pipeline of work.”

“WETEX is a great way to get hundreds of stakeholders in the same place at the same time – you get a massive bang for your buck.”

The Department for International Trade, in partnership with the Energy Industries Council (EIC )is organising and managing the UK Pavilion at WETEX 2018.

Key benefits for UK companies participating in the UK National Pavilion include:

• Prime location for the UK Group at the show
• Networking sessions, business-to-business meetings on a one-to-one basis and use of a private Group Lounge
• Experienced organisation - dedicated project manager to assist prior to and onsite at the show; appointed expert freight partner and stand designer
• Open invitation from Eng. Nasser Hussain Bin Lootah, DEWA’s Executive Vice President Generation (Power & Water) to visit the 10,000Mw+ capacity Jebel Ali Plant, the largest power and desalination plant in the UAE, for a guided tour of the plant and facilities

As at April 2018 the EIC’s projects database is currently tracking around $1.2 trillion project opportunities in the Middle East.

In the run up to EXPO 2020 in Dubai, where there are massive opportunities on offer, WETEX 2018 could provide the ideal launch pad for companies either looking to enter the booming Middle East utilities and construction sector.

WETEX 2018 takes place in Dubai from 23-25 October 2018. Email Luke.Hanns@the_eic.com for more information about taking part in the UK National Pavilion.

Click here for the WETEX 2018 website