SAIF Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, has been elected as the first vice chairman for the Middle East/African Chapter of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), Paris.

The UFI is the prestigious association of the world’s leading tradeshow organisers and fairground owners, major national and international exhibition associations, and selected partners of the exhibition industry.

Al Midfa will have a three-year mandate, which will commence from the UFI Congress in Bogota that runs from October 29 to November 1.

“After serving the UFI regional chapter as one of the chairmen, the election as first vice chairman is both a recognition of the good work done during the past three years as well as an added responsibility and commitment to serve the interests of its members and the entire exhibition industry,” said Al Midfa.

The UFI Middle East/African Chapter currently has 61 members and its list of approved shows runs into several hundreds of B2B and B2C exhibitions. Globally, UFI represents 641 member organisations in 83 countries. More than 907 trade fairs and exhibitions organised by its members carry the UFI-approved tag.

“I also see this selection as a sign of confidence the UFI and its members have placed on me to work for the continued success of our members and their initiatives. The fact that the UFI Middle East/Africa regional office is at Expo Centre Sharjah also helps in improving coordination among regional members,” said Al Midfa.

“We need to add more value to our events, improve our facilities and enhance our offerings ... given the enormous challenges and opportunities that are set to come our way on the back of mega events like the World Expo 2020, FIFA World Cup 2022 and growing economies” he added.

Al Midfa is a seasoned finance and marketing professional, an effective thinker with a practical hands-on approach to solving problems. He has been instrumental in expanding the business horizon and profitability of Expo Centre Sharjah, which became a member of UFI in 2009.

The main objectives of the UFI regional chapters are to discuss specific problems and ideas concerning their region, encourage cooperation between members within their region, promote UFI in their region and encourage additional membership.