Ministers, top international speakers and regional experts are to gather in Doha in November for a conference to discuss key industrial issues and the path the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states should take in the next decade. The event is the 12th Industrialists Conference organised by the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (Goic).

The conference theme is “The Future of Industry in GCC States: 2020.” The event will take place over three days from November 22 at the Exhibition Centre in Qatar’s capital and have two companion exhibitions.
Topics for discussion include the vision GCC states have for the period until 2020, the strategic initiatives in industrial policy formulation and coordination, project financing and financial services and international cooperation in research and technology.
Discussions also cover industrial linkages and partnerships, new trends in supply chain management and industrial products and potential markets.
The industrialists’ conference will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and industry ministers of all six GCC states will be present.
“This is the first time a GCC leader will patronise this event,” a Goic spokesman said. Goic is organising the event in collaboration with Qatar’s Ministry for Energy and Industry and Ministry of Business and Trade.  Co-operating are the Gulf Co-operation Council, the Federation of GCC chambers (FGCCC) and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The conference will be simultaneously convened with the Global Exhibition on Subcontracting & Partnership. “So far they enjoy the sponsorship of leading GCC corporations and companies,” the spokesman said. Qatar Petroleum (QP) is the strategic partner, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing Company is the diamond sponsor and Qatar Development Bank the development sponsor.
Silver sponsors are the United Development Company and the Saudi Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu.
The other conference will address the requirements of industrialists particularly those involved with small and medium industries.
The Industrialists’ Conference has been the most prestigious of its kind in the GCC region since its inception in 1987. Held every two years in a different country, it is attended by GCC industry ministers and by top businessmen and industrialists from across the world.
The last edition of the conference was held in Abu Dhabi and attracted more than 700 participants from the region and beyond. In keeping with its tradition to invite top speakers, the 2008 edition had German ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder addressing the industrialists.
Participants at that event were mostly from GCC states (92 per cent) with those at the managerial level comprising 87 per cent of participants. A majority (72 per cent) came from the private sector.
Elaborating on the exhibitions, the spokesman said the one on the requirements of Gulf industrialists with special emphasis on  small and medium industries would feature machinery, services and consulting.
The sectors to be covered by the exhibition are plastics, metalworking, woodworking, packaging and printing, building materials, chemical production and automotive, among others.
Products showcased would include machinery, tools, machine tools, raw material and semi-finished products, safety equipment, automation and used machinery. Services highlighted would embrace consulting, contracting and building, facility management, finance, industrial zones and ports and free zones.
The other exhibition dealing with subcontracting and partnership activities would put the spotlight on petrochemicals and plastics.
“Matchmaking and business-to-business meetings will be arranged by market specialists between suppliers, technology providers, buyers and investors,” the spokesman said.
“More than 2,000 matchmaking activities among Gulf companies such as QP, Kahramaa and Bapco, and Gulf and international suppliers are expected during the conference. Manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, investors and buyers will meet for three days to indentify and build on the opportunities created by the new economic environment.”
The visitor profile will include top managerial staff and middle-level manages including purchase managers plus technical experts, R&D specialists, traders and consultants as well as government officials, trade missions and associations.
“Exhibiting sponsors will be the main regional buyers. They will benefit from tailored matchmaking and business to business meetings arranged by Goic’s marketing specialists with worldwide suppliers after careful assessment of the main buyer’s purchasing needs,” said the spokesman.
Goic, the pioneering industrial matchmaking specialist in the Middle East, has established a supply network covering more than 40 countries to serve the industrial purchasing needs of GCC companies. More than 2,000 meetings will be set up during the 12th Industrialists’ Conference.
Registration for participating in and visiting the exhibition is open online at 12indconf@goic.org.qa.