Expo Centre Sharjah, Germany’s Messe Essen discuss strengthening strategic partnership

SHARJAH, 14th January, 2026 (WAM) — Expo Centre Sharjah officials discussed opportunities for strategic cooperation with Germany’s Messe Essen, during the 21st edition of SteelFab metalworking exhibition.

Messe Essen is the organiser of SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN—the Essen Cutting and Welding Fair, one of Europe’s premier trade shows for the welding and joining industries.

This was explored at a meeting convened between Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah; and Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen, during the German delegation’s participation in SteelFab 2026 exhibition, to discuss ways to enhance collaboration between SteelFab and the Essen Cutting and Welding Fair.

Discussions focused on developing specialised international platforms aimed at driving growth and innovation in industrial exhibitions and strengthening their role in serving the steel and metalworking sector, in line with the rapid changes and evolving dynamics shaping the industry at both regional and global levels.

In his remarks, Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, highlighted potential avenues to enhance collaboration with the Essen Cutting and Welding Fair to advance the metalworking sector. He underlined SteelFab’s role as a strategic platform fostering steel industry development and supply chain integration.

“Our partnership with leading German industry players strengthens SteelFab’s value proposition, drives industrial innovation, and attracts foreign investment. It also broadens Expo Centre Sharjah’s international partnerships and offers global companies an effective platform to showcase their cutting-edge technologies and products, thereby boosting the competitiveness of the UAE’s steel and metalworking sector,” he added.

For his part, Oliver P. Kuhrt praised SteelFab’s leading position as the most important trade show for metal and steel processing in the Middle East and North Africa.

He noted that SteelFab is a strategic partner to Messe Essen’s Cutting and Welding Fair, adding that the exhibition’s strong performance and success demonstrates both economic dynamism and international confidence in Expo Centre Sharjah.

Kuhrt emphasized plans to leverage combined expertise to develop smart solutions that empower steel manufacturers and facilitate the transition to automation and AI technologies.

Organised by Expo Centre Sharjah with support from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), SteelFab 2026 exhibition runs until January 15, bringing together more than 600 local and global brands, alongside 350 exhibitors from 35 countries to showcase the latest innovations in the steel and metalworking industry.