Tank Storage Middle East and Tank World Expo will create one definitive show for the Middle East and North Africa regions. Unified under one core brand – Tank World Expo 2016 – the event will take place at the iconic Dubai World Trade Centre on 12 & 13 April 2016, opening its doors to suppliers and key decision-makers from across the region.

Easyfairs acquired Tank World Expo in April 2015, in a strategic move to answer the industry’s demand for a large scale tank storage event in the Middle East. The merging of the two shows has accelerated the shows expansion, delivering the strongest and largest event of its kind for the tank storage industry in the Middle East and Africa regions. Perfectly placed in the international city of Dubai, the event is in close proximity to the region’s biggest terminals, making it an easily accessible location in which to do business.

Nick Powell, Event Manager of Easyfairs’ Tank Storage Portfolio explains the reasons behind the merger: “The purchase of Tank World Expo was extremely exciting for us as an organisation and the industry as a whole. Having made the acquisition we felt that merging the two biggest tank storage shows in the Middle East allowed us to pool the best talent, resources and innovation, to create the very best show possible. The support we have already received for the show has been phenomenal and we can already see it starting to gather momentum, particularly with the UAE Ministry of Energy already signed up as Official Government supporter.

“In its current form, the Middle East storage sector is experiencing an almost unparalleled growth. It has already established itself as one of the most important regions in the world and does not look like it will be slowing down any time soon; no greater example than the development of the world’s largest terminal in Oman. So for those looking to understand more about the industry, listen to expert opinions, browse over 120 exhibitor’s stands or simply network with some of the biggest names then a visit to the new and bigger Tank World Expo 2016 is a necessity!”

Few could argue that the Middle East is becoming increasingly key for the bulk liquid storage sector. It is one of the most exciting and vibrant areas, with continued large scale investments developing at a rapid rate and over 40 million cubic meters of independent tank storage in the region alone. Furthermore the UAE is set to double its capacity in the next few years, with Fujairah now second only to Singapore in terms of bunkering capacity.

The growth of Fujairah in particular is a key driver in the Middle East’s continued rise. It is perfectly placed to become the key petroleum products hub, and thus will alter global trade flows and most likely strengthen flows into Asia. More than 85% of the 17 million oil barrels per day that pass through the Strait of Hormuz are going directly to the Asian markets. As well as being the second most productive region in terms of bunkering capacity, Fujairah is now ranked as the third largest oil storage and products trading centre in the world, behind Rotterdam and Singapore, where Easyfairs also organize StocExpo and Tank Storage Asia.

This latest development closely followed Easyfairs’ recent acquirement of Tank Storage Magazine, making it a 360 degree reference for all within the industry. It is also part of the company’s ongoing strategy to deepen its support of the bulk liquid storage market, reinforcing its position as the strongest and largest group of tank storage events in the world.

Tank World Expo takes place on 12 & 13 April 2016 at Dubai World Trade Centre. For more information on exhibiting, visiting or becoming a media partner, please contact event manager Nick Powell on +44 (0)20 8843 8801 or at nick@stocexpo.com, or visit the event website for more information: www.tankworldexpo.com