Gulf Construction Online - 650 exhibitors to put on a show

Saudi Build 2009

Last year’s Saudi Build ... hit among visitors.

Saudi Build 2009

650 exhibitors to put on a show

With Saudi Arabia’s robust construction sector being relatively untouched by the global recession, organisers of Saudi Build 2009 are gearing up for unprecedented participation levels when the business-to-business show opens next month.

01 September 2009

MORE than 650 regional and international companies from 38 countries hoping to ride the Saudi investment wave and tap the country’s buoyant construction sector are expected to showcase their products and services at Saudi Arabia’s premier construction show in Riyadh next month.

Saudi Build 2009, the 21st edition of the International Construction Technology and Building Materials Exhibition, is set to open with record participation, according to its organiser Riyadh Exhibition Company (REC).
The expo will be held from October 4 to 7 at the new Riyadh International Exhibition Centre, a 23,000 sq m facility designed to set new standards in modern trade promotion.
An added fillip will be the concurrent Saudi Stone 2009, the 12th International Stone and Stone Technology Show. The expo will feature designers and landscapers, who will showcase the latest stone products like marble, granite, travertine and stone derivatives, as well as cutting, polishing and manufacturing machinery. It will also host national pavilions representing Austria, China, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Portugal and Turkey.
The back-to-back events will complement major projects being implemented in Saudi Arabia, including industrial land developments that are expected to expand the country's 1.5 billion sq m of industrial area by up to 50 per cent within the next five to 10 years. Saudi Build 2009 and Saudi Stone 2009 will likewise offer customised technologies, new construction techniques and the latest products and materials for projects in the retail segment, which is expected to add a total of 4 million sq m of gross leasable area in five years, says REC.
More than 1,000 brand names, which make up the cream of the world’s construction technology and products, will vie for attention at the show in the heart of Saudi Arabia, which constitutes the biggest market for this sector.
A wide array of cutting-edge building materials and technology and construction tools and equipment will be showcased at Saudi Build 2009 along with the finest display of stone, marble ceramics, granite and wood.
They will be put together by leading manufacturers from Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Spain, Syria, Thailand, the Netherlands, Tunisia, turkey, the UAE, the UK and Ukraine.
Saudi Build 2009 will host a total of 11 national pavilions.
Around 110 Saudi companies are participating, with the flagship fair holding attractive business opportunities for heavyweights such as Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), Saudi Ceramics, Saudi Marble and Granite, Al Jawdah Ceramics, Yamama Marble, Saudi Industrial Development Company (SIDC), Alfanar Ceramics, Ibrahim Alnajran, Wintek, Munir Munif and Grundfos Pumps. A total of 20,000 industry-related visitors, including high-profile business leaders from the kingdom and around the world, diplomats and high-ranking Saudi government officials are expected to attend in the event.
Saudi Arabia's robust growth potential combined with the slowdown in the global real estate and construction industries has made the country an attractive destination for investors, international suppliers, contractors and other real estate-related businesses, according to the organiser.
“The surge in interest in Saudi Arabia’s construction sector is reflected in the exceptional growth in participation at Saudi build 2009, which has exceeded the previous record by 50 per cent and we’re expecting more entries in the next few weeks,” says Shahid Bhatti, project manager, Saudi Build, Riyadh Exhibitions Company.
“The kingdom’s influence on the global construction sector can be gathered from the enthusiastic participation of companies from even the Far East and Europe,” he says.
The show has attracted international participation for the first time from countries like Denmark, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Oman, Russia, Slovak Republic and Ukraine.
“Exhibitors regard Saudi Arabia as a safe and secure investment destination amid an otherwise bleak outlook within the global construction and real estate industries. This year’s edition will provide all participants with the latest, best-of-breed solutions for this sector, and new launches will add new dimensions to the industry and its players in the region,” Bhatti adds.

Staggering statistics
Saudi Arabia’s sound and robust construction sector has remained a much-sought-after business oasis for international companies.
In Bhatti’s words: “Saudi's construction sector has remained active and lucrative despite major upheavals in other international markets, with several mega projects dominating the construction landscape.”
The consistently strong construction and real estate expenditure has easily made the kingdom a lucrative growth destination for key players in the regional and international construction industry.”
Staggering statistics reveal the country’s ambitious plan to pump $87.8 billion as initial cost into a ‘super project’ that aims to build six ‘economic cities’ which will be home to 2.5 million residents and are expected to contribute $150 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP) and generate over 1.5 million jobs by 2020.
Companies are competing to get a slice of Saudi’s mega projects, as property and infrastructure development grows at a gigantic pace. At least 10 mega-projects – including King Abdullah Economic City and Jizan Economic City, each worth more than SR112 billion ($80 billion) – are fuelling growth in every sector – from knowledge industries to the travel and leisure sector.
The King Abdullah Financial District, on way to becoming the largest financial centre in the Middle East with a floor space of around 3.3 million sq m, will help realise the growth forecast of between 20 to 30 per cent in the office space segment of the country.
The country’s real estate sector has been projected to sustain a growth rate of between five to seven per cent until 2012, powered by a consistently strong domestic housing demand, expanding business development projects and a burgeoning hospitality sector, according to a recent study by Global Investment House.
The study revealed that the real estate sector’s GDP contribution will reach 7.2 per cent in 2009, up from 6.8 per cent in 2004, as the country’s investments in this sector touch SR1.125 trillion ($300 billion) this year and are poised to reach SR1.5 trillion ($400 billion) by 2010.
“One of the critical challenges for Saudi Arabia is its overwhelming real estate needs, which certainly opens up opportunities for foreign contracting companies and real estate developers. Current estimates indicate that the country will need to build around 1.5 million new homes by 2015 to cater to a rapidly growing population, which translates to around 250,000 housing units annually. Over 750 million sq m of industrial land is also poised to be developed within the next decade, along with some 4 million sq m of retail facilities and up to 2.4 million office spaces."
According to economic forecasts, Saudi’s housing sector alone requires some 1.5 million new units worth more than SR450 billion over the next five years.
"The present and future real estate requirements of Saudi Arabia are quite overwhelming, which is why the country is enthusiastic about the attention it is getting from leading global industry players. As such, Saudi Build 2009 will surely be an exciting platform for foreign companies to identify advantageous business prospects in Saudi Arabia, while offering an opportunity for the country to take advantage of a highly formidable assembly of leading construction and real estate companies,” says Bhatti.
A member of the IFP Group, REC offers full international and local logistic support, onsite stand-builders, signs, lettering, and graphics for the event that it has been successfully organising for the last two decades.
Exhibitors and visitors will equally benefit from the new cutting-edge facilities of the Riyadh International Exhibition Centre, which has been specifically designed to optimise exposure and deliver greater accessibility to exhibition and business facilities. The complex consists of four main halls with more than 15,000 sq m of exhibition space, plus an outdoor area of 5,000 sq m. The centre also has a full range of support services, and parking for 1,500 cars and buses.
The growth of Saudi Build, which was launched in 1981 as a bi-annual event, has been tremendous, according to Bhatti, who says the strength of the Saudi market nourished its development to what it is today. It was made an annual show from 1991. More than 38,000 visitors have attended the previous two editions, where over 500 companies were represented. The last five shows have been fully sold out.
“Saudi Build/Stone 2009 is an excellent opportunity for the business community and professionals to see and compare the latest technology, products and services. It’s come a long way since 1981 when it opened shop on a 3,000-sq-m area with a single national pavilion from Germany and few independent international exhibitors,” Bhatti concludes.
The event will be held from 4.30 pm to 9.30 pm daily. This apart, to cater exclusively to families and businesswomen, the show will be open on the last day from 10 am to 1 pm.