Show Review
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DEAL 2010
Middle East industry gets together in Dubai
Still the Middle East’s most important amusement industry trade show, the 16th edition of DEAL took place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from April 25 to 27. Owen Ralph reports
minute, threatening attendance from several key exhibitors. In the event, 150 companies occupied their booths as planned and most visitors were probably none the wiser.
Pleasantly Surprised This year’s show took place inside the new Sheikh Saeed Halls at the DWTC. At the top end of the hall, the massive cluster of booths from Prakash Vivekand’s Amusement Services International (ASI) was in stark contrast to the modest displays from most other exhibitors. “We planned for this show based on the last two or three years but
have been pleasantly surprised,” remarked Olaf Mordelt of Heimo, now providing a growing range of design services for attractions operators. “I think we ran out of enquiry forms on the first day; we are more than satisfied.” “It’s tough, but the business is there,” observed Andrea Munari of IE
Park. “Arabs care a lot for the family, so it is a must to go to the amusement park or FEC. As in Europe, people are travelling less, so that is good for local attractions.” “This has been a good, good show,” smiled Waleed A Ibrahim of
opportunities, including the World Waterpark Association’s second Middle East Symposium and the first ever Foundations Entertainment University outside the US. Final audited figures revealed that just short of 5,000 (4,932)
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attended the three-day exhibition, down from 5,328 in 2009, when Dubai was bearing the brunt of its part in the global economic downturn. Many local leisure and real estate projects are still in jeopardy, and
certainly the Dubailand dream appears to be shattered, but new attractions have opened in the last 12 months. These include the Dubai Aquarium, Sega Republic at Kidzania at the Dubai Mall next to Burj Khalifi – the world’s tallest building – and Play Nation at Mirdif City Centre. For many investors in the region, however, it will be the success of
failure of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi that dictates whether there is sufficient appetite in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a major theme park on this scale. But as visitors to DEAL demonstrated, there is talk of new projects
across the Middle East, where the amusement industry is estimated to be worth US$2 billion (€1.6bn), and one country kept coming up in conversation again and again – Iran. “The success of this year’s DEAL exhibition shows just how
established the Middle East’s amusement industry now is,” highlighted Abdul Rehman Falaknaz, president of International Expo Consults (IEC). “Since launching 16 years ago, DEAL has continued to go from strength to strength and we have been very pleased with the results from this year’s edition.” Before the event began, however, IEC was bracing itself for a
problem that could have left many empty spaces on the show floor. Volcanic ash grounded flights across Europe right up until the last
JUNE 2010 HE Khalid Bin Sulayem opens the show 19
fficially opened by HE Khalid Bin Sulayem, director general of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, the event also incorporated a number of educational
Gulftech Amusement Rides in Riyadh. “I see that all visitors need rides. Customers from the Middle East like us because we have a factory nearby.” “We have seen a lot of people from Saudi Arabia and also there
seems to be an explosion in Iran,” noticed Michele Colombari, soon to depart the Fabbri Group for a new career outside the amusement industry. “A lot of the entertainment in this area is indoors, which is why Fabbri will soon start making indoor rides; at the moment we are not known for that.” “We sold a set of second hand bumper cars to a customer in
Pakistan,” Park World was informed by Lino Ferretti at Preston & Barbieri. “It’s not a million dollar sale, but at least it’s something.” “Maybe there are more exhibitors this year, but the booths are
smaller and there is a lack of visitors,” commented Pradip Sharma of Bombay Amusement Rides (BARPL). “Maybe it is a sign of the economy, or maybe the manufacturers are not coming up with anything new.”
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