The third Environmental Exhibition and Conference (Environment 2005) got off to a splendid start January 30, after the formal inauguration and opening by HE Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister for Presidential Affairs of the UAE. For 4 days this event could assemble the major players in this new economic market, which is absolutely booming.
A new fair for the Arab Region
Ashok Pillai, Project Manager of the General Exhibition Corporation, says this booming will occur for many years. He expresses the need of the Middle-East countries to solve problems as oil spills, energy overconsumption, landfills, coastal protection, and environmental awareness. Besides these opportunities, it’s obvious that the developing countries have lots of needs for consultancy, environmental assessment studies and so on. This creates a huge economic market, where the European business can play a dominant role. It was a dream of the - recent died - former President HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan to create in this desert a complete sustainable Emirate. The organisers of Environment 2005 are then confident that “this exhibition and conference, which gathers an elite and distinguished people, including scientist, researchers, experts and other represents an advanced step in this direction” said Hamad Abudul Rahman Al Madfa, UAE Minister of Health.
Foreign interest in booming market
EEP was present during the whole Environment 2005. Michiel van Kleef, President of EEP and several EEP-representants evaluated this regional event very positively. The Exhibition was set up in a very professional way, with lots of astonishing stands of the 338 exhibitors from 41 countries, a growth of 49 % over the last show. “The light dip of 2003, caused by the Iraq-war, was already forgotten, said a proud Ashok Pillai. For foreign visitors, the big representation of the Dutch, British and German industry (sometimes supported by the presence of their Ministers !) was very obvious, with great concentrated stands. But even small countries were satisfied, because the visitors were very interested in what they will offer for their region. “Differently to some European Fairs, we had a lot of close contacts, and we’ve got the opportunity and the time to tell all about our technical experiences” said a Belgian exhibitor. The exhibition occurred in a very relaxed atmosphere, and it was a real pleasure to be confronted with the progress some Arabic states have already made the last decade. A big part of the environmental policy is still orientated on environmental education, food programmes and nature preservation, a public area where administrations as ERWDA and their inspired secretary-general Majid Al Mansouri, plays a leading role. Issues as recycling, selective waste-collection and soil remediation for example still are in a cradle-stadium, but are the most important challenges of the future.
The Abu Dhabi – Declaration
Environment 2005 was not only an exhibition, but also a convention with 95 speakers. Delegates from a number of Middle East countries finalised the so called “Abu Dhabi Declaration to Promote Sustainable Transportation in Developing Countries”, which pledges to ensure that health and social issues are always considered when governments draw up future transportation initiatives. “The declaration can be a good addition tot the positive steps worldwide taken recently,” said Hamad Abdul Rahman Al Midfa, UAE Minister of Health and Chairman of the Federal Environmental Agency. Observers from the academic world, industries and officials prepared this declaration, to give it a scientific background. After a few days they agreed that health, social aspects and environmental issues should be combined in an effort to reach sustainable transportation. Therefore, the Declaration urges the United Nation’s role in helping to create a cleaner environment in the Arab World, a new approach that Dr Noël J. Brown, CEO and director of Friends of the United Nations, strongly supported. “The work begins with this Declaration” said Brown, “and now we must try to achieve the aims of this undersigned text into every day politics. We have the duty to keep this Declaration in the minds of the public, the officials and the politicians, because a mobilisation should evolve toward a real organisation”.
By Dirk Vercammen
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