A new off-highway machinery exhibition is being launched in Mongolia in 2012 in response to the country's massive potential for development. The event is being run jointly by the German equipment manufacturing association (the 1331 VDMA) and exhibition firm VF Messe, in partnership with the Mongolian and German governments. The event will be run from May 16th-19th 2012 in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. With economic growth of 6.1% last year, Mongolia is regarded as one of the key developing countries. Prior to the financial crisis, from 2004 to 2008, the average figure was even above 9%. Last year the gross domestic product generated by the population of just around 3.1 million people in a country of almost 1,600,000m2, which ranks 10th largest in the world in terms of surface area, was US$11 billion. The highland region mainly consisting of desert is rich in mineral deposits such as coal, copper, crude oil, gold, diamonds and silver. Some time ago, in the south of the Gobi desert, coal and copper deposits were discovered, some of the largest in the world. According to Klaus Stöckmann, who is responsible for the fair at the 1331 VDMA, "Future Mongolia is aimed at supporting the country in its rapid development." The fair will be held at the Buyant Ukhaa sport complex located in the immediate vicinity of the capital's airport.
