The Expo Centre Sharjah has called upon exhibitions sector stakeholders to establish Middle East League, similar to counterparts in various regions in the world.

The proposal was presented by Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Chief Executive Officer of Expo Centre Sharjah, President of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry in the Middle East and Africa, Chairman of UFI's MEA Chapter, as part of his keynote speech at the Expo Network Forum Middle East held in Dubai recently.

Al Midfa considered that the quick advances the world is seeing requires all stakeholders to develop new strategies for the coming years, based on advanced visions that take into consideration the latest economic transformations, both regionally and internationally. According to him, these transformations will soon force a major change in dogma, from "think global and act local" to "think global and act global".

The Forum was attended by major players and stakeholders in the exhibitions sector in the Middle East. The conferees discussed latest advances in the sector, and means for sharing experiences and best practices.

In his comments during the Panel discussion: "Inside the Exhibition Industry in ME" session, Al Midfa highlighted that the UAE has become a pioneering business hub, both regionally and globally, and the same applies to the exhibitions sector, in which Sharjah takes a leading role.

Al Midfa highlighted the importance of strategic planning in the industry, noting that Expo Centre Sharjah has long realised the importance of maintaining high profile events, such as the Middle East Watch and Jewellery Show, SteelFab, the International Education Show, and many more. This stems from the Expo’s belief in the role of well established events in attracting visitors and exhibitors alike.

On the Watch and Jewellery Show, Al Midfa noted that the biennial event is considered one of the largest of its kind the Middle East, and the only to target B2B and B2C together. He revealed that the show attracted around 11,000 visitors a day in its last edition.

Explori, the leading firm specialised in international exhibitions surveys and statistics, revealed that the UAE occupies the first rank in exhibitions in the Middle East and Africa, with over 265 successful events in 2016, followed by South Africa with 209, and Turkey with 197. The company also revealed that exhibitions and events in the region (including the UAE) attracted 17 million visitors.