The inaugural edition of Thermal Industry Middle East T.I.M.E. was held in May 2009, with both exhibitors and trade visitors unanimously declaring it an outstanding debut.

Nearly 100 exhibitors and brands showcased exhibits related to steel making, cement manufacturing and other heavy core industry. Direct exhibitors came from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China,Czech Republic, Egypt, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland,Turkey, UAE, UK and the US.

International companies like A-Tec, Christian Pfeiffer, Inductotherm, Reitz, Ajax Tocco, Aumund Group that are recognised leaders in their eld of supply worldwide, as well as locally based engineering houses like Synergy International, Al Taqaniah, Ocean Rubber, Karavan Refractory and Engineering Dynamics, among others, took part in show.

The response from India was very good, with 20 brands taking part. Some of the leading Indian names were Tata Refractories, Vaas industries, Wearresist technologies Shanthi Gears, Tecknoweld, Duraweld, Keld Ellentoft, Electrotherm, Electro Magnetic Industries, HimEnviro, Cumi Refractory and Elecon Gears.

For the inaugural show, steel and cement were the key focus areas, mainly due to the relative larger number of plants in the Middle East. Steel Arabia 2009 conference, held alongside Steel-Tech in association with ourmetals.com, examined in detail the latest and future regional developments and changing trends in the steel, armature (rebar and galvanised steel) and raw materials sectors.

The Cement Arabia 2009 conference discussed the cement market in Middle East, its future trends and price dynamics; providing presentations from manufacturers about new plants, expansions, challenges and examining regional construction sector and technology innovations.