The Glass & Ceramic Tech will form the fourth component of T.I.M.E. 2011.
Glass and ceramic industries in the UAE have continued to perform well on the back of several construction projects nearing completion. The GCC states have all the ingredients required for glass and ceramic making with silica, gypsum, limestone and gas abundantly available, highly bene_ting the show.

The growth rate in glass products in the past three years was about eight per cent and it is expected to increase by 10 to 12 per cent in the near future. The global market for ceramic tiles is projected to reach over 100 billion square feet in three years. Asia-Paci_c (excluding Japan) and the Middle East with a double-digit combined annual growth rate of almost over 10 per cent are projected to emerge as the fastest growing regions for ceramic tiles. Existing plants in the Middle East, planned expansions and new projects, hold good promise for global suppliers to the Glass & Ceramic industries. The largest _oat glass plant is being built in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia for Obeikan Glass with a capacity of 800 tons per day. A new joint venture company Saudi Guardian Float Glass Co. Ltd. has announced construction of its 450 metric tons per day float glass plant. Meanwhile the opening of the RAK Ghani container glass plant in the UAE has increased regional bottle-making capacity by 44,000 tons per year.

RAK Ceramics in the UAE, operates nine factories in Ras Al Khaimah, with plants in Bangladesh, Slovakia and China. With exports to more than 135 countries in five continents, RAK Ceramics is one of the top three ceramic manufacturers in the world.

The Middle East probably has more than 50 ceramic plants which creates a relatively small, but vibrant market for suppliers to this industry.

Glass making technology that will be on the show include Glass production technology including Raw materials, Refractory, Industrial gases, Batch preparation, Glass melting technology, Forming for Flat& Hollow Glass, Glass Tube production, Glass Fibre production, Kiln Technology, Cold end technology for flat glass, Lamination, Separators, Coating systems, Conveying, Packing, Transport & Warehousing.

In the ceramic section, exhibits will include raw materials and additives, production materials and ancillaries, conveying, feeding, batching, weighing, crushing, grinding, grading, screening, separation, mixing, moulding, glazing, decorating, surface treatment, heat treatment, measurement and control, laboratory equipment, plant construction, engineering, dust extraction, _ltering, handling, packaging, and automation systems & technology.