This year, Project Lebanon will feature hundreds of companies from 20 countries from around the world, including countries officially involved under the supervision of official associations and missions plus their commercial attaché in Lebanon and the region.
The initiative taken by a number of countries to enhance the level of their presence through the participation of a number of companies exhibiting for the first time in the show, is a clear indication of the escalating interest displayed by international companies and foreign businessmen for Project Lebanon which is considered an effective tool to strengthen their presence in Lebanese and regional markets.
Italy, which is the second largest trading partner of Lebanon with $2 billion worth of exports in the year 2013, is engaged in the exhibition for the seventh year in a row through an official pavilion which includes 12 companies specializing in various areas of construction, along with a number of associations and trade bodies represented by 42 official delegates accompanying the participating companies.
Marina Giangrande, Director of the Italian Trade Commission-ICE, explained that “Project Lebanon has a renowned reputation in the region,” revealing how “different Italian companies have benefited from their participation in past years, establishing a wide network of connections which includes thousands of companies and businessmen deployed in the markets of the Arabian Gulf and North Africa, to form a solid and productive customer base.”
After Italy comes France in the list of the leading trading partners of Lebanon after it recorded a 20% export growth 2013, reaching 1.3 billion euros, with an 8.3% import share. In order to strengthen this partnership, the French Agency for International Business Development (UBIFRANCE) in collaboration with the ESA Business School, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Alsace (CCI Alsace) and the Movement of French Economic Enterprises and Representations in Lebanon (MEREF) are organizing the French pavilion of the exhibition.
Director of UBIFRANCE in Beirut, Henri Castores says: "French companies participating this year are characterized by providing high quality products and technologies in the areas of engineering, construction, architecture, surface finishing, production of electricity, infrastructure, digital and interior design, and green buildings."
In addition, the Turkish pavilion is considered one of the most important in the exhibition. The participation of Turkey for the tenth time in Project Lebanon confirms the strength of trade relations between the two countries after $846 million worth of Turkish exports to Lebanon in 2013, according to statistics provided by the Ministry of Economy in Turkey, which is organizing the participation of Turkey at the exhibition. This figure represents a 17.8% increase from the year 2012. Moreover, Turkish companies are looking forward to their participation in Project Lebanon and joining those who preceded them in acquiring projects in Lebanon during the past sessions. The Ministry of Economy of Turkey states that the Turkish companies are currently implementing 9 projects in Lebanon with a combined value of up to $347million.
On the other hand, Belgium is participating this year for the fifteenth time. Belgian companies are seeking to take advantage of the opportunity to increase the size of Belgian exports to Lebanon, which amounted to 377 million euros last year, a 22% increase from the previous year. These companies are looking to use the exhibition as a gateway to neighboring markets, by establishing connections with traders from the Lebanese diaspora in the region.
Egypt’s participation is also among the most significant this year, overseen by the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut, and the Egyptian General Authority for Exhibitions and Conferences. Accompanying the companies participating in the Egyptian pavilion are a large number of business representatives for major Egyptian companies in various fields, cooperating with the Lebanese companies on a bilateral level and on a multilateral level with Lebanese companies successful in countries abroad.
This essential Egyptian participation comes in the context of the development of trade relations among the two countries, where the trading volume between both nations amounted to nearly $1 billion after pivoting on the margin of half a billion dollars until the year 2010. Furthermore, there are presently 1,200 Lebanese investment projects in Egypt with a capital of $4 billion, as Lebanon is ranked 14th among more than 150 countries investing in Egypt.
In addition to these countries, this year's edition of the show will feature the participation of Jordan, Germany , Spain, Bahrain, Switzerland , Luxembourg, Austria , Greece, Poland , China , Iran, the United Arab Emirates , and Romania.
ifpinfo
30 May
