JEDDAH – A bigger and brighter Light Middle East 2015 is set to open in Dubai in October with a greater global focus, thanks to its role as an official sponsor of the Unesco International Year of Light in honor of 11th century Arab scientist Ibn Al-Haytham. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL), to raise awareness of how light-based technologies provide sustainable solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health. Light Middle East 2015 is a Gold Sponsor for the IYL in the same year that marks the 1000th anniversary of the ground-breaking seven volume treatise on optics by Al-Haytham, who is considered a pivotal figure in the history of optics and the ‘Father of modern Optics'. Born in 968 in present day Iraq, Al-Haytham was a pioneering scientific thinker who made important contributions to the understanding of vision, optics and light. His ideas influenced European scholars including those of the Renaissance that brought Europe out of the Dark Ages. “Ibn Al-Haytham is a revolutionary scientist from 1,000 years ago whose life and work has been underappreciated, yet they have more relevance today than ever before,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organizer of Light Middle East. “It's a privilege for Light Middle East to partner with such an internationally significant occasion such as the Unesco International Year of Light, as we draw on Al-Haytham's example and shine new light on cooperation and sustainability. “Light Middle East, as the leading international trade and networking platform for lighting design and technology serving the wider region, also has an important role to play in shaping the future of the industry in the Middle East,” added Pauwels. Light Middle East 2015 will take place on Oct. 6-8 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The three-day event will feature more than 350 exhibitors from 27 countries representing over 430 brands, and returns with popular features such as the Future Zone – a special section that spotlights the world's leading trends, technologies and concepts of lighting technology. Said Sawaf, Agency Principal at Speclight Associates, said: “With Dubai being the hub of architectural lighting design in the region, we thought Light Middle East would be a great opportunity to further penetrate the market with the variety of specification-grade brands that we represent.” “Light Middle East is important for the Middle East's lighting design industry since the regional construction market is going through a process of evolution; it's really maturing. What that means is that it's becoming more professional, more serious and much more demanding.” Other popular features at Light Middle East 2015 include the Light Middle East Conference on Oct. 7-8 October, highlighting key issues impacting the regional lighting industry, while the prestigious Light Middle East Awards will celebrate the region's most outstanding lighting projects and designers. — SG
