The French stand at The Big 5 last year.
Technical expertise on show
01 November 2017
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A total of 26 leading French companies will be out in force at this year’s Big 5, the largest construction event in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. |
To enable French companies to seize new opportunities and reinforce their presence, Business France, the national agency supporting international development of the French economy, will be running three French pavilions at the fair. These will be dedicated to special construction (at Sheikh Saeed), construction tools/building materials (Zabeel 1-3) and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing)/building interiors in Hall 1-4.
According to a spokesman for Business France, the French construction/finishing industry has undeniable strengths in sectors where technical sophistication, innovation, quality and design play an essential role.
“With its highly-fragmented business ecosystem of 409,500 companies, generating a total turnover of €126 billion ($148.4 billion), France has the capacity to play an important role in the industry across the world, especially given that it is home to one or more of the global leaders in every segment, including Vinci, Bouygues, Saint Gobain, Lafarge and Schneider Electric, to name just a few,” he says.
France boasts a highly diverse offering when it comes to the building trades –from structural engineering and finishing works (carpentry, roofing, insulation, sanitation, air-conditioning and smoke detectors) to interior fittings (wall and floor coverings, luxury tapware and home automation) – supplied by companies of all sizes. According to the French Construction Federation, these firms make €8.6 billion in foreign markets (€5.9 billion from structural construction and €2.7 billion from finishing works).
France tends to export products that are technologically advanced or which place an emphasis on quality and design – including innovative insulating materials, facades that allow light to pass through, false ceilings, terracotta tiles, natural paints, decorative fireplaces, among other products.
Among the French exhibitors at The Big 5 is Projiso, an expert in manufacturing and marketing spray systems, which offers a large range of products with multiple high-performance properties including thermal, fireproofing and acoustic. These are Fibrexpan (fire resistance, thermal insulation and acoustic insulation and reduction), Fibrofeu (fire resistance and acoustic insulation), and Fibrogaine, and Firespray (fire resistance) – all of these applications are covered by EU regulations. Its products carry the CE marking and the thermal lambda is approved by an Acermi with a technical agreement.
Veda France, a key designer, manufacturer and seller of a comprehensive range of firestop systems and joints for the construction industry, will once again be at The Big 5 to boost its presence in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Veda’s products include expansion and control joints, joint covers, firestop systems and stair nosings. These are suitable for all types of buildings (shopping malls, hospitals, schools, industrial buildings, and airports) for both standard and seismic joints.
“As a specialist manufacturer of building joints, our savoir-faire is widely recognised by all professionals: architects, engineering firms, general contractors and sub-contractors,” says a company spokesman.
“The presence of Veda France has grown considerably in the Middle East, thanks to the certification of our products and systems by the local authorities (UAE Civil Defence, Qatar Civil Defence, Kuwait Fire Department) and our participation in the 2016 Big 5 Dubai exhibition,” he concludes.
The French pavilions will be located at Sheikh Saeed Hall, Zabeel 1-3 and Hall 1-4 at The Big 5.
