Light + Intelligent Building Middle East, the region’s largest exhibition for lighting and building technology, was officially opened by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). Now in its 17th year, the show will be held under the theme Enlightened Future: How responsibility will guide the future of the Light and Buildings.

Spanning three halls and denoting a 75% growth in event space and a 128% growth in exhibitor numbers from last year, over 400 international exhibitors will showcase the latest trends, innovations and technologies in the lighting, electrical engineering and smart building sectors.

During the prestigious opening tour of Light + Intelligent Building Middle East, Al Tayer visited several exhibition stands, including Zumtobel, Signify, Ledvance, Vimar and TE Connectivity. Furthermore, he visited pavilions from Germany and Türkiye.

Abdul Muhsin, Show Director of Light + Intelligent Building Middle East, said: “For the next three days, Light + Intelligent Building Middle East will be the epicentre of the lighting and building technology industries, with a host of insightful sessions, workshops and show features which will highlight and draw attention to how responsibility is critical in guiding the future of light and buildings.

“With over 400 exhibitors and 30 countries represented, and a range of global experts speaking at multiple conferences and forums, we will have a truly international outlook on how we can ensure energy efficiency, promote wellbeing and safeguard the environment.”

The opening day will see global thought leaders in lighting converge at the THINKLIGHT Conference. US-based Lauren Dandridge, Principal, Chromatic, delivered the inaugural keynote speech, which was followed by a session focused on master planning of lighting in cities. Emilio Hernandez, Founding Member of Green Lighting, provided a keynote session on circularity, creating products designed to last several lifecycles.

The Smart Building Summit opened with a session on ‘Learnings from COP 28 and the Path to Sustainable Smart Buildings’ by H.E. Dr. Ali Al Jassim, Chairperson, Emirates Green Building Council. The summit also featured exclusive sessions discussing key aspects of energy efficiency, AI in buildings and adaptation to climate change led by renowned experts, including Dr. Yianni Spanos, Vice President – Sustainability, Expo City Dubai; Dr. Ahmad Altarawneh, Senior Digital Transformation Consultant, Dubai Police and Tekha Selim, Vice President Head of MENA Region, International WELL Building Institute.

The tech-talks at the InSpotLight stage begin tomorrow, Wednesday, 17 January, and will feature speakers from around the world, with the opening session from Jelena Lazarevic, Associate, Foundry London. Today, the audience at the InSpotLight stage witnessed the live judging and presentation of the shortlists for the Product of the Year Awards.

Rounding out the three-day light and intelligent building showcase will be the Light Middle East Awards, now in their tenth year. Over 159 entries have been received in categories including the ‘Project of the Year’, ‘Product of the Year’ and ‘Partner of the Year’, and the winning entries will be announced at a prestigious ceremony at the Palazzo Versace Dubai on 18 January 2024.

Over 1,000 brands will be featured at Light + Intelligent Building Middle East across six product categories, which include: ‘Technical Lighting’, ‘Electric Lamps and Components’, ‘Decorative Lighting’, ‘Architectural Lighting’, ‘Electrical Engineering’, and ‘Smart Home and Building Automation’.

Light + Intelligent Building Middle East takes place from Tuesday, January 16, to Thursday, January 18, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.