Expanding Trade Show Wraps Up in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — This week, health care exhibitors from across the globe met in Dubai to participate in the Hospital Build & Infrastructure Exhibition and Congress, which ended today.

The growing global business-to-business trade show hosted more than 160 exhibitors, and more than 6,300 visitors were expected to gather today. The Hospital Build & Infrastructure brand was launched in 2009, and in October 2013, it will be launching two new shows in the series: Hospital Build & Infrastructure Turkey and Hospital Build & Infrastructure Russia.

The trade show is organized by Informa Exhibitions’ Life Sciences Division, who created the global brand and produces 14 exhibitions and more than 50 conferences annually. The division also works in the development of the success of Arab Health, the world’s second largest health care exhibition, which takes place in Dubai each year.

The increase in attendance and number of the Hospital Build & Infrastructure trade shows is a direct reflection of the growth in investment and expansion in the health care industry within the UAE. This growth is due to the increased role of international health care service providers, resulting in more international insurers and reinsurers that are exposed to medical malpractice risks in the UAE.

Chicago-based Norix Group Inc., a manufacturer of health care furniture, was one of the exhibitors at the trade show. The company introduced its Attenda line of patient room furniture and its Forte Series of lounge and waiting room furniture to the Middle East market. The company’s furniture will be featured in Al Massara Hospital, a 50,000-square-foot facility that offers diagnostic services and drug treatment in Oman.

It was Norix’s first time exhibiting at this show. One of the major incentives was the demand for hospital beds in Saudi Arabia alone is predicted to grow from 51,000 to 70,000 in the next four years, and the number of hospitals is projected to grow from 364 to 502, according to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GCC health care industry is estimated to spend $44 billion by 2015 and $60 billion by 2025, compared to the $28.9 billion spent in 2011.