DUBAI, UAE, January 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The MENA region's 1.2 trillion-dirham tourism projects sector is set to receive a boost with the conduct of TDIM - a major, new annual trade show to be held next month, that will focus on promoting flow of investment, resources and expertise into tourism development in the region.

TDIM 08 (http://www.tdimonline.com/), (Tourism Development Projects & Investment Market), to be organized January 20 to 22, 2008 at the Dubai International Exhibition & Convention Centre, will be organised by Reed Exhibitions Middle East with the support of DTCM (Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing - Government of Dubai) and WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council). TDIM sponsors include Nakheel, Dubai World Central (DWC), Emirates Airlines, Falcon City of Wonders and Dubailand.

TDIM has appointed PR Newswire as the official news wire distribution service for the event.

TDIM offers an excellent platform for local and international investors and key players from tourism and associated industries to meet, discuss, explore and enter into new partnerships and has been designed to facilitate investment, knowledge-sharing and networking for all key stakeholders in the tourism market. With the excellent market response TDIM has received, exhibit space is poised to exceed 19,000 square metres - a major accomplishment for what is the inaugural edition of the show.

Reed Exhibitions have also launched an innovative initiative at TDIM 08 aimed at providing high-end global investors with opportunities to evaluate potential investment prospects in the region's trillion dirham tourism projects sector. The programme branded HICE (Hosted Investors & Corporate End-Users) provides a networking platform for TDIM exhibitors and HICE participants who will include senior decision-makers from global tourism project development companies, major banks, investment houses and tourism franchisee owners who will be hosted guests at the show. The HICE programme is structured to prepare the ground to facilitate investment flows from global investors into the sector.

A market survey conducted by Reed Exhibitions in preparation for TDIM has revealed that AED 1 trillion has been committed to tourism-related projects in the GCC that are expected to be completed by 2018. Of this, the UAE accounts for AED 858 billion or 85 percent of the total tourism project investments in the GCC.

Oman, with AED 61 billion in tourism project investments, and Qatar, with AED 31.1 billion, occupy the second and third slots among the GCC countries. Bahrain (AED 20.77 billion), Saudi Arabia (16.44 billion) and Kuwait (12.67 billion) have also managed to attract significant investments into tourism project development. The figures exclude infrastructure costs such as power plants and transport networks.

Reed's survey has also shown that the UAE tops the GCC in terms of land area occupied by tourism projects. It has an area of 558 million square meters under development for tourism projects, accounting for more than 75 percent of the combined land area under development for tourism in the GCC.

Background on Reed Exhibitions:

Reed Exhibitions is the world's leading events organizer and in 2006 brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Reed organises exhibitions, conferences and meetings in 34 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific through 37 fully staffed offices. Its portfolio of over 460 events serves 52 industry sectors and includes leading industry events in travel, tourism and real estate such as the Arabian Travel Market, World Travel Market, MIPIM, MAPIC and SIMA.

CONTACT: For further information: Ara Fernezian, Show Manager - TDIM
2008, Reed Exhibitions, Middle East, Ph: +971-2-4446113, Fax: +971-2-4443768,
Email: ara.fernezian@reedexpo.ae or Brian Carvalho, ASDA'A Public Relations,
Ph: +971-2-6334133, Fax: +971-2-6334233, Email: b.carvalho@asdaa.com