Dubai， UAE， 12 January 2014： Middle East Electricity， the world’s largest power exhibition taking place on 2-4 March at the Dubai World Trade Centre， is preparing for its 40th edition in 2015. The show has not only witnessed a 40% increase in visitor attendance over the past two years， but has also acquired 21% extra floor space to cater for the growing MENA power industry， which is forecast to expand by USD 70.7 billion per year leading up to 2018.

“When Middle East Electricity launched back in 1975 it was held in a tent on the banks of Dubai Creek. The show now boasts over 54，000 sqm of exhibition space， and received a total attendance of 50，629 last year， the highest number of visitors we have ever received at the show. In the event industry 40 years is no mean feat， and we are one of the longest standing exhibitions in the history of the UAE’s event calendar.” said Anita Mathews， Director of Informa Energy Group. ？

“I don’t use the term lightly when I say ‘stakeholders are key’， and one of the main drivers of the event’s success has been maintaining our focus regarding the expectations of our stakeholders. For many of our exhibitors we have grown right alongside them， building the trust that is required to ensure the longevity of our event.” added Mathews.？

Lighting has been one of Middle East Electricity’s fastest growing sectors for a number of years. To meet demand， the 2015 event will feature， for the first time ever， an area solely dedicated to the lighting industry， increasing the total floor space for 2015 by 13%.

In addition to exhibitor demand， the need for a dedicated lighting platform at Middle East Electricity has been fueled by strong growth in the lighting industry. The recent revival in the region’s construction sector is expected to increase the Gulf’s lighting fixtures’ market by 10% per annum to reach a value of $3.75 billion in five years.？

Middle East Electricity 2015 will offer an extended educational programme with three informative conferences， once again supported by Dubai Municipality， the event’s strategic government partner. The show will welcome back the Green Energy and Solar Middle East conferences and will introduce a conference dedicated to lighting to coincide with the expanded show vertical.？