Malaysia to bring 60 firms to Big 5 in '07
2 November 2006
DUBAI - Malaysia will expand its presence to 60 companies next year at the Big 5 show following the considerable potential sales achieved this year.
A total of 45 Malaysian companies took part at the Big 5, the annual leading building and construction expo in Dubai. At this year's event, Malaysian companies have recorded actual sales of $450,000 and potential sales amounting to $17 million. Looking at the vast potential the expo offers, the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), the Malaysian government agency to promote exports, has decided to bring in more companies for the expo next year. Besides the 39 companies at the Malaysia Pavilion, six more companies are present at various halls at the expo.
Talking to Khaleej Times, Nadzri Shamsudin, Consul General and Trade Commissioner of Malaysia said, "This is the sixth consecutive year of our participation here and this year the event is special for us. The organisers have allotted Hall A as the Malaysian pavilion which has resulted in companies bagging major construction projects in the UAE. Many more potential orders are in the pipeline." According to Matrade figures, actual sales in 2005 were $354,000 and the potential sales amounted to $4.5 million.
"In comparison to last years figures, this year we have experienced a much bigger success and hope this trend will continue over the years," says Shamsudin. Major sectors that the Malaysian companies represent include: building materials, electrical appliances, security equipment, ceramics and tiles, timber products, paints, water tanks and firefighting equipment. In fact, Malaysia is the top exporter to UAE among the Asean countries. Malaysian companies are tapping the growing demand for building material in the UAE where the construction sector has remained buoyant despite a slowdown in the rest of the world. Presently, 35 Malaysian companies have a presence here and are operating successfully from UAE. Matrade expects to add another 10 companies by the end of this year.
"Already four to five companies are in the final stages of entering the country," says Shamsudin adding that most of the companies are in the construction, engineering and trading industries. Some of the major Malaysian companies based in the UAE include Peremba Bhd, Tidalmarine Engineering, Eversendai Engineering and IJM Corporation.
Khaleej Times - BY MANU SHARMA