By global standards it may be a small country, but Wales is proving that it has the might to take on the world as it prepares for Big 5.
More Welsh firms than ever before will be attending the prestigious show – the biggest in the UAE – thanks to support from the Welsh Assembly Government's overseas trade and investment arm, International Business Wales, via its Objective 1 Programme, Export Assist. For the second year running, IBW is hosting a major stand at the show and helping firms with the logistics of exhibiting in the region.
As the rapid development of the UAE region continues apace, Welsh firms are well-equipped to provide the kind of advanced technologies that the construction sector now requires.
Lee Jennings, Vice President (Middle East) of International Business Wales, said: “The local market has a high regard for Welsh products and services and this year we have a diverse range of products on show. In 2005 Welsh exports to the UAE totalled £210 million, an increase of £63 million from the previous year.
“Last year’s Big 5 Show generated over £1 million in new business for Welsh companies in the Dubai market alone, and the attending companies are keen to replicate that success again this year.”
Sean Reilly, managing director of equipment supply firm ESS, based in Glynneath in West Glamorgan, said: “At last year’s Big 5 show we secured an order from large landscaping contractor in the UAE for one model from our range of Bandit Beast horizontal waste recyclers, the first time the 2680 model has ever appeared in the Middle East. Since then we have secured deals with a wide range of customers from small landscapers to major construction firms and we are hoping for similar success this year.”
Sean thinks that the success of the Welsh offering in the Middle East is firmly rooted in its people. He continued: “Welsh firms are doing well in the Middle East because our staff come from a highly skilled background and have a lot of experience in the construction and recycling industry. We are also a practical nation; Welsh companies in general tend to have a very practical approach that clients in the region like.”
ESS will be showcasing new products at the show incorporating equipment for the removal and recycling of indigenous materials, such as palm and eucalyptus, using a new cutting technology specifically designed for these applications in the Middle East. The firm provides equipment for the recycling and reutilisation of construction and landscape waste, enabling it to be turned into a valuable product such as mulch and compost which can be resold or reused.
Sean Reilly is adamant that the help offered by International Business Wales has been crucial to the company’s success in the Gulf: “We could never afford to design and build a stand of the same size, effectiveness and general professionalism of the International Business Wales stand. IBW’s permanent office in the UAE also means that International Business Wales can provide ongoing support in the region. Its support has been absolutely fundamental to us, resulting in the recruitment of new staff to our organisation to service our growing client base in the Middle East.”
Also attending the Big 5 Show are Bridgend-based technology innovators IEA Ltd. Following the successful launch of its ‘V’ Tankered Water and Waste Water Management Systems at last year’s Big 5, the firm hopes to build on its success this time around. IEA will be launching two new products for the water industry at Big 5; ‘TraKKa’, the tracking and monitoring management solution for heavy duty machinery and mobile assets, and ‘AquatraK’, the water based transport monitoring system, which monitors passenger numbers and engine details to help ensure the safety of the vessel.
Managing Director Les Seaton explained that the Middle East provides a huge market for water industry technology. “With massive investment spending in the water industry in the Middle East as companies strive to abide by new legislation, there is now a high demand for the new technologies we have been using in Europe for the last ten years. Last year we signed two partners including Metito in the UAE and Midwil Inc in Qatar, which have enabled IEA to enter the market with the credibility that such local contacts bring with them allowing us to tender for major contracts in both Qatar and Oman so far.
“International Business Wales has been very useful in providing the support needed at such a show as the Big 5. We have enjoyed reduced air-fares, but for us it is less about the financial savings than the infrastructure support. To be able to set up a stand is logistically difficult, so having the IBW stand there ready for us when we arrive is a real help.”
