New venue for Dubai International Boat Show 2004

The Dubai International Boat Show scheduled to take place from March 17th to 20th 2004 is to take place at a new venue, the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC).

"We are pleased to confirm that DIMC has been chosen as the venue to stage the Boat Show next year as it offers ideal site options for both external exhibits and water displays," said DWTC Director General, Mubarak bin Fahad.

"Dubai has some of the best boating facilities in the region and a rapidly growing network of marinas which in turn has attracted an increasing number of exhibitors to participate in the Boat Show and we are confident that the move to the DIMC will help in persuading more exhibitors to participate in the exhibition," Mr. bin Fahad remarked.

DIMC was established in 1988 to promote and develop watersport racing in the United Arab Emirates. Since that time, the Club has surpassed its brief inception and is now firmly established as the driving force behind the growth of national and international watersport events in the Middle East by becoming the first Arab organization to be granted full membership of UIM (Union Internationale Motonautique), the governing body of Motorised Watersports in the World.

"Over the years DIMC has matured and is now ready to play a more diverse role and through the staging of the Boat Show at our venue, we expect to attract a more diverse range of marine industry professionals from all facets of the pleasure boat industry domestically and internationally, including producers of luxury craft and service providers," said DIMC Managing Director, Saeed Hareb.

"We are delighted to be selected as the preferred venue for the show and are positive that this cooperation with DWTC will reap mutual benefits both for the event and the venue," Mr. Hareb stressed.

The DIMC offers extensive outdoor facilities including a large number of berths, equipped with electricity and water facilities for the mooring of racing fleets, whether powerboats, sailing yachts or private yachts. Other facilities offered include unlimited craning facilities for both sailing yachts and offshore powerboats, one slipway allowing for simultaneous and continuous launching of boats, an on site helipad for the landing of up to five helicopters, extensive tarmac areas and a grass area for outdoor facilities ranging from social and  recreational activities. World Powerboat Champions, the UAE Victory Team, are also based adjacent to DIMC Marina and utilise the marina facilities for their boat trials.

Boat building is one of Dubai's oldest traditions and now the emirate is gaining ground with higher ratios of pleasure craft per capita that have served to attract an increasing number of international exhibitors to the event as well as buyers from the neighbouring GCC countries and beyond.

Some 129 exhibitors participated at the event last year, 67% of which were international exhibitors from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and the USA. The event attracted boat and equipment manufacturers, designers, dealers, distributors, importers and exporters, and rental outlets among others.