Dubai is preparing to open the gates to the 15th edition of the Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS), the premier exhibition in the Middle East for the leisure marine industry. Organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the Dubai International Boat Show will be a 33 percent bigger than the previous year, with 20,000 square meters of net exhibition space and more than 142 boats exhibiting on the water.

As the region’s largest gathering of leisure craft, equipment and associated services, DIBS continues to grow with an unprecedented 722 participating companies in 2007 (an increase of 53 percent).

“The Dubai International Boat Show holds the position as the regions premier event for people involved in the business of boating, whether it’s exhibitors launching new products or trade or public buyers looking for good deals and great marine leisure products,” said Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai World Trade Centre.

“DIBS 2007 will bring together more than 25,000 boating enthusiasts from across the region to Dubai, a city steeped in maritime history and culture, for what will be the most exciting and impressive edition of the show,” he added.

Interest in boats and sailing is at an all time high, driven in particular by the increasing availability of waterfront property, afforded by multi-million dollar developments and new marinas in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

“As the market continues its impressive growth, manufacturers, dealers and distributors from across the Middle East are producing and importing greater numbers of high performance and luxury boats to cater for the demand,” continued Helal Saeed Al Marri.

“In turn, prospective international buyers know that the first port-of-call must be the Dubai International Boat Show where they can explore the market and view the very latest range of boats, equipment and products,” he added.