From Near and Far

As we complete our last issue of ELEVATOR WORLD Middle East for 2023, it is with some wonder and some concern. We end the year with unfortunate wars in the Middle East and Europe, both of which are creating anxiety and uncertainty for so many, including some of our colleagues in the vertical-transportation (VT) industry. We move toward 2024 with the sincere hope for peace and prosperity on all fronts. 

Even as we watch the world’s news unfold with caution, there are many signs of optimism in the global VT industry, as evidenced by interlift 2023, which was a success on the level of interlift 2019, the fair’s largest iteration to date. There were new products demonstrated and displayed and positive global market trends presented, plus big news of the fair’s move to Nuremberg in 2025. We will have the full report for you in the next issue. 

interlift was just one of the major industry trade fairs we attended in the fourth quarter. In this issue, we share Saudi Arabia’s Emerging Expo, which chronicles Lift City Expo Jeddah’s return after a long break. Interest in the event, which took place in early September at the Hilton Hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was so overwhelming that some companies had to be content with just being visitors when exhibition space ran out. 

Details are revealed about the future of a major regional event in Cairo Liftech Show to Return. We share information from a press conference held by INTRADA Exhibitions this summer, where the organizers announced the February 29-March 2, 2024, dates for that event’s sixth edition to held at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in New Cairo, Egypt. For the first time, the show will welcome participants from Spain, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., which reflects the growing importance of the exhibition.  

The WEE Expo 2023 – Shanghai returned in July after a three-year hiatus. EW China Correspondent Peng Jie chronicled the summer event, which gathered roughly 1,000 domestic and global exhibitors. Hot topics during the show included next-generation elevator technology, safety solutions and magnetic levitation doors, to name a few. 

We highlight impressive projects this issue, including those in “Rock”-ing It in Egypt by Kaija Wilkinson, which explores entire new cities rising in northeast Africa. TK Elevator is among VT companies seizing on the opportunity in the market. In Hosting a Wonder Project, Peng Jie shows how cliff elevators relay village kids to cable cars through a sky bridge, reducing their school commute from more than 2 h. to 7 min. 

We explore maintenance in Advancements in Elevator-Specific VFD Technology and The Benefits of Refurbishing Variable Frequency Drives. Wilkinson has a conversation with Otis Gulf MD Mohammed Al Qaisi in All In, where we learn about Al Qaisi’s entry into the VT industry, his work with Otis and his thoughts on the Gulf region’s VT market. Bucher Hydraulic’s Michael Pyper talks about how a smart modernization outperforms a complete replacement in both economic and environmental aspects in Like New: Modernizing Hydraulic Elevator Systems. 

We hope you enjoy this packed issue, and look forward to hearing from you.