Capital goods trade fair “Future Mongolia”
For the second time the capital goods trade fair “Future Mongolia” took place in the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator from 19 to 22 June – once again organised in and around the sports complex “Buyant Ukhaar”, situated right next to the international airport of Ulan Bator (Fig.). The German Machinery and Plant Manufacturers’ Association, VDMA, acts as a conceptual sponsor for “Future Mongolia”.
All in all, some 3000 m2 of hall space and 4500 m2 of outdoor exhibition area are available. Posting double-digit annual growth rates for its gross national product, Mongolia is one of the fastest developing economies in the world. For 2013 alone leading economic research institutes forecast another increase of between 15 % and 18 %. Finance experts are speaking of the future “Dubai of the East”. What they mean here is the state capital Ulan Bator with its roughly 1.2 million inhabitants – the centre of the economic and cultural life of the country with a total population of 2.8 million inhabitants.
The reason for this immense growth is the country’s so far scarcely assessable wealth in natural resources – especially coal, copper, gold and rare earths. Mongolia is one of the world’s richest countries in natural resources. South of the Gobi Desert coal and copper deposits have just recently been verified that are among the biggest on earth. Even today mining is the by far most important source of revenue for the country. Many large and international mining operators have become engaged in this country. Correspondingly high is the demand for mining machinery especially for surface mining where currently still most natural resources are produced. But underground mining is also on the advance.
