SBIE 2008 ... well attended.
Saudi show to buck global downtrend
01 March 2009
DESPITE the global economic slump that is hitting most regions of the world, the organiser of Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition (SBIE) is upbeat about this year’s expo, which is already showing a 15 to 20 per cent growth in space bookings.
Zahoor Siddique, the Jeddah-based director of exhibitions of Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions, the show’s organiser, describes the response to SBIE 2009 as “overwhelming”.
The event, which will be held from April 12 to 16 at the Jeddah Centre for Forum and Events, is attracting a wide and varied range of participants, with international companies and national pavilions exhibiting alongside leading Saudi businesses, providing an international showcase for products, technologies, innovations and design trends for the building and interiors sectors.
“We have larger international groups participating at the show this year and the local contingent is equally strong,” Siddique tells Gulf Construction.
The largest national group at SBIE this year is from Turkey, with the country’s pavilion hosting at least 60 participating companies that will showcase their products and services over an area of 500 sq m. Egypt will bring in the second largest group, again over an area of 500 sq m, with national pavilions and individual participant coming from the US, Iran, China, Germany, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, India, France, Lebanon, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE.
“The show will be bigger than last year and we expect to have around 300 exhibitors at SBIE 2009,” he adds. Siddique expects the show to buck the global trend as the financial crisis has not had a major impact on Saudi Arabia, with “construction projects still proceeding on schedule”.
Now in its 18th year, SBIE continues to attract exhibitors from around the globe, as it provides an important platform for companies that are targeting the opportunities that Saudi Arabia, and particularly its new economic cities offer, says the organiser.
The expo will offer visitors from across the Gulf and worldwide one of the widest concentrated presentations of building and interiors products and services available anywhere within the kingdom, says a spokesman for Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions.
“With its location in Jeddah, the kingdom’s commercial and leisure capital, the show continues to be the ultimate platform from which to access the region’s largest single market,” the spokesman says.
Being held under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the exhibition has already received encouraging response from the local industry. More than 60 leading local participants have confirmed their participation in the show alongside the sponsor, Construction Production Holding Company (CPC).
Running parallel to the exhibition will be a high-profile symposium conducted by the Saudi Council of Engineers, featuring expert speakers from the industry.
A host of advisers and specialists will conduct technical demonstrations and provide free consultancy to prospective builders or property owners.
Last year’s show was a great success for both visitors and exhibitors, reflecting Saudi business confidence and particularly the dynamic building sector, says the organiser.
The 13,751 trade visitors comprised a wide cross-section of building and interiors professionals. With a total 320 exhibitors, national Saudi companies exhibited alongside a large contingent of international pavilions and individual participants from Bahrain, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE and the US, providing visitors with a huge array of displays featuring both existing and new-to-market products and services.
Exhibitors expressed delight at their participation with 90 per cent achieving the primary purpose of participation (promotion of new goods and services), and 40 per cent securing orders during the show.
Turkey had the largest international participation with its pavilion exhibiting products and services of 31 companies.
Following last year’s show, Özgür Sofuoglu, director of International Projects at Istanbul-based ADG Trade Fairs, said: “This exhibition has turned out to be a big success for Turkish companies. Turkish firms have been participating regularly in this annual exhibition for over many years and since it is a rewarding experience most of them will return to the next exhibition as well.”
The German Boecker Group showcased its crane and lifting technologies. A spokesman commented: “We found our participation most rewarding.”
Werner Kastens, export manager of Kedas, considered one of the biggest companies in the world for manufacturing sockets and switches, said: “We are pleased with our participation as our products have appealed to local businessmen.”
Fumangalli Italian Company showcased its range of outdoor lighting, and was “flooded with orders from owners of villas and prospective buildings”.
Francois Mounier, director of French personal protection equipment company Somain Securite, was more than satisfied with the firm’s second-time participation. “We are very happy with the customer response to our products and hope to sign partnership deals for training manpower and marketing of our products,” he said.
Meanwhile, Frank Dong, engineer at overseas sales department of Shenzhen Sans Testing Machine Company, Shenzhen, China, said: “The response from the local business community to our products was excellent. In fact, some deals have been reached and many others are in the pipeline.”
Saudi exhibitors were equally delighted with SBIE. Creative Closets and Al Bander reported excellent results for its range of products. “Our products have been well received and several inquiries and even orders have been secured,” said a spokesman for the company.
Running parallel to the exhibition was a high-profile engineering symposium organised by the Saudi Quality Council, Western Region. It was well attended and focused on a wide range of subjects relating to the construction sector including: precast concrete in economic cities, increasing housing costs, the role of value engineering in the national economy, Hail Economic City development, an approach to environment-friendly architecture, and new contractual approaches to avoid disputes.
“SBIE’s strength lies in its comprehensive presentation and its role as the communication platform for the dual combination of the building and interiors sectors providing Saudi and international companies with a world-class forum from which to promote products and services.
“The wide spectrum of high profile professional visitors, attracted from across the kingdom and neighbouring Gulf states, ensures SBIE’s place as an integral part of any marketing strategy for Saudi Arabia,” the spokesman comments.
Opportunities
Commenting on the Saudi market, the spokesman says: “Supported by a strong economy, the government, in partnership with the private sector, is engaged in a huge programme of infrastructure projects.
“The kingdom represents the largest construction market in the Middle East. Buoyed by recent high demand, the Saudi construction industry has been contributing in excess of five per cent to the country’s GDP. Billions of dollars are being poured into construction and infrastructure projects across the kingdom providing business opportunities in various sectors, including electricity ($123 billion); water ($93 billion); housing ($6 billion); roads ($5 billion); hospitals ($5 billion); and schools and universities ($2 billion).
“The creation of six economic cities – the first and largest of which is the $60 billion King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah – is already providing huge opportunities and fuelling demand in all areas of the buildings and interiors sectors. These important sectors require a marketing platform and showcase, and the annual SBIE fulfils this role.”
Jeddah-based Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions is one of Saudi Arabia’s leading event organisers.The first to own dedicated exhibition venues and organise international trade shows in the kingdom, Al Harithy has, over the past 30 years, staged in excess of 450 successful exhibitions in Jeddah across a wide range of industry sectors.
