01 April 2013

GREEN building and sustainable construction were the focus of this year’s The Big 5 Saudi held last month (March 9 to 12) in Jeddah, where leading international companies looking to capitalise on the construction opportunities in Saudi Arabia took part.

Held under the patronage of Jeddah Municipality mayor Dr Hani Mohammad Aburas, the third edition of The Big 5 Saudi took place at Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events. Spanning two halls, with an area of 10,000 sq m each, it hosted more than 550 exhibitors from 36 countries showcasing a huge breadth of new technologies and products from heavy machinery to fit-outs.

The event staged a number of value-added elements, which included the return of the Concrete Zone, a dedicated arena for those working within this sector to showcase their products and services. Additionally, two Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-focused education workshops – looking at the green rating system in the region and the popular concrete repair workshop – took place.

“The influence of the Saudi construction market on the industry as a whole is unquestionable,” said Andy White, group event director, The Big 5.

“We launched the Saudi event in 2011 with unprecedented success and have seen consistent year-on-year growth with international companies representing a majority share of our exhibitors.

“We see a real interest from the international market, with many looking to find out more about the market, key trends as well as present their products and services to potential buyers,” he added.

Construction projects worth $613 billion are expected to be completed in Saudi Arabia over the next five years, according to a report from Zawya commissioned by The Big 5 Saudi 2013.

The commissioned report, ‘Saudi Construction Market: Unveil Opportunities Ahead’, revealed that power and water and real estate represented the most significant sectors of current construction in the kingdom, with 32.9 per cent and 32.2 per cent of the total respectively.

Many of the event’s exhibitors displayed their commitment to sustainable construction at the event, including Qatar Steel, which specialises in the manufacturing of direct reduction iron or hot briquetted iron, which proactively contributes to the reduction of toxic emissions from the plant.

Another exhibitor, German-based Henkel ensures its products contribute to sustainable development in at least one of its focal areas – energy and climate, water and wastewater, materials, health and safety or social progress.

Apricus Solar unveiled its latest range of flat plate collectors at the exhibition, and Andre Cossette showcased its new 65dB sound barrier quality blocks, which are claimed to have the highest thermal efficiency of any concrete block in the market today.

Dubai Investments (DI), the largest investment company listed on the Dubai Financial Market, established a strong performance at The Big 5 Saudi, taking forward its plans to expand operations in Saudi Arabia.

DI leveraged the international trade show opportunity to showcase its wide-ranging interests in the construction and ancillary sectors such as glass and glazing solutions, aluminium extrusion, steel fabrication and design, architectural aluminium design and installation, contracting, as well as interior design.

Abdul Aziz Al Serkal, general manager at Dubai Investments, said: “Our showcase was planned to cater to the unique needs of the Saudi market, which in essence is similar to that of other countries within the GCC region. The expertise offered by our manufacturing units has been appreciated by many visitors at this event. Currently, we are in talks with leading companies here to secure project orders.”

Dubai Investments Industries, the industry arm of Dubai Investments, participated with some of its subsidiaries such as Emirates Extruded Polystyrene, Dubai Cranes and Emirates Building Systems (EBS) who exhibited their portfolio of project engineering and consultancy services.

Masharie, the private equity arm of DI showcased companies such as light fixture manufacturer Lite Tech, rubber and synthetics manufacturers International Rubber Company and Techno Rubber Company, aluminium and glazing contractor Folcra Beach Industrial Company, aluminium extrusions manufacturers Emirates Extrusion Factory, and laboratory fittings manufacturer Labtech.

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