HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance, has officially opened Middle East Electricity and Solar Middle East, which takes place from 11 - 13 February at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Middle East Electricity and Solar Middle East 2014, held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, are partnered with Saudi Energy in Riyadh, Power Nigeria in Lagos and Africa Electricity in Johannesburg. The increasing global appeal of the three-day event is underlined by 22 government-supported country groups and national pavilions taking part, as all get set to capitalise on Dubai's strategic location as the gateway to the lucrative energy markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Anita Mathews, Director of Informa Energy Group, organisers of Middle East Electricity, said: "MENA power demand is booming, and the billions of dollars' worth of investments being pumped into the region's power sector indicate lucrative opportunities for global players in the energy industry." "This year, the show has grown by 10 per cent year-on-year in terms of exhibitor numbers, and we expect more than 50,000 in total attendance over the next three days" added Mathews. With Day One dedicated to green energy, Middle East Electricity 2014 marks the launch of the Future Generation competition, where the UAE's brightest engineering students deliver live presentations to thousands of visitors about their innovative solutions for alternative energy and energy conservation. The winning project will be decided by visitor votes, with the ultimate winner announced on the last day of the show at 2pm. Meanwhile the second edition of Solar Middle East is showing no signs of slowing down, as more than 100 international manufacturers, suppliers and developers of solar related products and services gear up for the fast-growing solar energy market, which is expected to exceed a combined output of 10 GW in the region by 2017.* The dedicated solar showcase is held in strategic partnership with the Dubai Municipality, and Enpark, a freezone business park dedicated to facilitating and fostering the growth of the alternative energy and environmental industries. "Solar Middle East is the most comprehensive gathering of solar technology suppliers in the region," said Marwan Abdulaziz, Executive Director of Enpark. "It provides an opportunity for all to share their scope of operations, products and services with industry peers and is an excellent platform for our business partners to engage and network with key decision makers. "As the primary sustainability district in the UAE, we believe in fostering and facilitating renewable industry through building partnerships and taking responsibility for the position we hold - that of a platform for the industry who is able to initiate change and sector development." Other highlights at this year's show include two dedicated industry conferences; the Green Energy Conference and the Solar Middle East Conference, which take place on February 11 and 12 respectively. The conferences will cover sustainability within the energy sector and the delivery of solar projects in the Middle East, allowing industry leaders to establish new strategies to reduce the region's carbon footprint.