THE Gulf Industry Fair (GIF) 2015 will be held in Bahrain next month at a time of unprecedented industrial and infrastructure investment in the GCC, said the organiser Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE).

Citing figures from the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), HCE said new investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars will reinforce a regional industrial base which more than doubled in investment value from 2009 to reach almost $369 billion by 2013.

Against this background, GIF 2015, to be held under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, will again take centre-stage next month (February 3 to 5) at Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC), providing a window into the world of the Northern Gulf’s vibrant industrial landscape, and offering unrivalled networking opportunities and lead generation potential.

GIF enjoys high-level support from many of the iconic organisations at the forefront of this investment programme. This includes Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), which is currently spending at least $2.5 billion on a sixth production line; Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), which is undertaking a multi-billion-dollar refinery modernisation; and Majaal Warehouse Company, which earlier in 2014 announced it had completed and fully leased all three phases of its 37,000-sq-m industrial real estate project in Bahrain Industrial Wharf.

Alba will again sponsor the ‘Aluminium Village’ show segment, which will showcase the unique synergies of the kingdom’s upstream and downstream aluminium industries.

As in previous years, Bapco will support the ‘Energy and Environmental Protection’ segment, where it will demonstrate some of the capital investments in projects which reduce the company’s environmental impact.

Meanwhile, Majaal, a developer and operator of industrial facilities primarily for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), will again be the principal sponsor of the ‘Logistics and Industrial Facilities’ show segment.

Other sector partners include Ahmed Mansoor Al A’ali, which will sponsor the ‘Industrial Processes and Manufacturing’ segment, and Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (Asry), one of the Gulf’s leading shipyards, as sponsor of the ‘Ports and Maritime’ segment.

GIF 2015 will have a vocational element, in keeping with the organiser’s broader goals to support Bahrain’s socio-economic development. The Comgroup ‘Training4Life’ workshops, organised by Medpoint Design and Events Management in association with Lead Academy, will be tailored exclusively to individuals working in the kingdom’s industrial sectors, offering expert insight and live practical experience in disciplines such as behavioural safety, while exploring ways to enhance productivity and innovation.

In addition to the seminars, the Training4Life workshops will feature sector-specific sessions run by Ducab (Dubai Cables), Alba and Bapco.

GIF 2015 will also, for the first time, host ITech Industry 2015, an event where IT companies can showcase their capabilities and generate direct leads with industrial concerns participating at GIF.

The organisers also plan to build on the overwhelming success of the Virtual Exhibition experience launched at GIF 2014. Offering interviews and information about participating companies, the Virtual Exhibition – available at www.gulfindustryfair.com or www.gulfindustryonline.com – prolongs exhibitor exposure long after the three-day show has concluded to a global online community.