Gulf Industry Fair 2018, the Northern Gulf’s leading event dedicated to promoting industrialisation in the GCC, is scheduled to take place from February 6 to 8 under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

YBA Kanoo Group, which has been established for more than 125 years, covers the GCC as well as Africa and Europe, in a broad range of sectors.

The company will showcase its portfolio of divisions, including industrial and energy, shipping and logistics, real estate and Kanoo Travel. YBA Kanoo’s business strategy, Vision 2020, is based on four key pillars: Customer focus, transformation programme, strategic risk management and compliance.

“Gulf Industry Fair is an important statement of presence from YBA Kanoo Group as we move from being a trading company to a solutions provider,” said Group chief executive Dr Patrick Chenel.

“It is an ideal platform to showcase our Vision 2020 strategy and highlight the strengths of our operating divisions, and move to approach the market as One Kanoo with a full value proposition.

“Our co-operation with customers, and particularly our key accounts, is coming into focus, with a new Key Account Management (KAM) structure in place.

“We look forward to leveraging our 125 years of experience, ethical conduct, best-in-class partnerships, advanced business systems and cutting-edge technologies to become an leading solutions provider,” Dr Chenel added.

Among YBA Kanoo Group’s key customers are Saudi Aramco, Sabic, Ma’aden, Sasref, Adnoc, Bapco and Saudi Electric Company.

YBA Kanoo Group will also showcase the restructuring of its Industrial and Energy division at the fair. The division has five business units, which comprise: Small to medium engineering, procurement and construction (EPC); fabrication and construction; operations and maintenance; plant and machinery: and drilling and chemicals.

“Gulf Industry Fair will be a platform to showcase our service offerings across our five business units,” said industrial and energy executive general manager Fergus Burke.

“YBA Kanoo is one of the most trusted partners in the region, working with world-class companies, such as Halliburton, BASF, Saber, Grove, Hyster, Perkins and Bobcat.

“Our industrial and energy restructuring aims to deliver improved solutions to our clients in Saudi, Bahrain and the UAE in particular. This is an ideal forum for our development teams to collaborate with industry professionals, key clients and develop new opportunities,” he added.

YBA Kanoo’s shipping division is seeking to expand globally, while logistics is targeting niche markets in the region.

Kanoo Travel aims to provide state-of-the-art corporate travel solutions, including meetings, incentives, conventions, and events (MICE), online corporate travel tools and business intelligence.

The three-day fair is organised annually by Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions, whose managing director Jubran Abdulrahman said, “The presence of a regional giant at Gulf Industry Fair shows the B2B value, brand building and overall importance of the fair.”

Gulf Industry Fair is sponsored by Bapco, National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga), Alba and Bahrain Investment Wharf. The industrial facilities sector sponsor is Majaal.

Other supporting organisations include AHK Saudi Arabia, the German Saudi Arabian Liaison for Economic Affairs, PHD Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, Bahrain Solar Association and the Bahrain Industrial Association.

YBA Kanoo is one of the largest, independent family-owned multinational businesses in the Middle East with an extensive portfolio of complementary business units and strategic partnerships across a range of industry sectors.

Established in 1890 as a family trading and shipping business in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Company has evolved into a diversified conglomerate with a physical presence across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Asia.