Officials cut the ribbon to mark the opening of The Big 5 Saudi last year.
Focus on innovation
The first Festival of Construction Innovation, celebrating 10 years of construction excellence at The Big 5 Saudi, is among the the innovative features of this year’s Saudi edition of the major show, which is set to open in Jeddah next month.
01 February 2020
The Big 5 series of exhibitions is set to mark the 10th anniversary of its entry into the Saudi market when The Big 5 Saudi raises its curtains in Jeddah next month (March 8 to 11). The event aims to provide a window of opportunities and a networking venue for local and international construction communities looking to gain a share of the kingdom’s $1.2-trillion construction market.
To mark the 10th anniversary milestone, the organiser has unveiled plans for a new festival to celebrate innovation in construction.
“New for 2020, we are delighted to launch the first Festival of Construction Innovation, celebrating 10 years of construction excellence at The Big 5 Saudi and look forward to 10 years of innovation on the journey to achieving the Saudi Vision 2030,” a spokeswoman for dmg events tells Gulf Construction.
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Last year’s event attracted a total of 13,018 visitors. |
Also new for this year’s edition is a dedicated outdoor space for the event, which will return to the Jeddah Centre for Forum & Events. “The new dedicated outdoor area will generate several new activities and features to increase the interest of the professional trade visitors,” she adds.
A meeting place for the global construction industry in Saudi Arabia, The Big 5 Saudi provides a venue to source everything in the construction buying cycle – from conception through to completion. The event is set to showcase products and services of more than 250 brands over a total gross space of 20,000 sq m, categorised in eight dedicated sectors in the indoor space and one outdoor zone for heavy machinery and concrete.
These dedicated product sectors include building interiors and finishes; building envelope and special construction; construction tools and building materials; construction technologies and innovations; concrete; mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services; heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R); and plant, machinery and vehicles.
According to the spokeswoman, the event is expected to attract new international exhibitors and national pavilions from more than 20 countries, namely China, Turkey, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, UK, US, Egypt, UAE, India, Korea, Kuwait, Jordan, Malaysia, Hungary, and more.
Among local exhibitors at the show are Katerra, Building Technology Stimulus Program, Zamil Industrial, Upgrade Group, Forsan Ceramics, Universal Building Materials (UBM), Saudi Pipe Systems, Station Group, Advanced Industrial Company, Al Qimma, Wuensch Plaster, Pillar Arabia, Arcoma, Saudi Bitumen, National Factory for Plastic, Steco and Impo.
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The Big 5 Saudi is set to host a number of free-to-attend seminars. |
According to a recent Meed Projects report and webinar prepared in collaboration with The Big 5 Saudi, there are more than $1.2 trillion worth of planned and un-awarded projects in Saudi Arabia, with $684 billion projects (55 per cent) in the construction sector alone. The report confirms that the Saudi projects market is one of the largest in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region currently, and highlights future acceleration in line with the opening of the kingdom’s economy and with Saudi Vision 2030.
“Mega-projects such as $500-billion Neom smart city and King Salman Park in Riyadh, worth more than $17 billion, provide immense opportunities for international companies looking to show commitment to the kingdom,” she says.
Event director of The Big 5 Saudi, Roni El Haddad, says: “With so many exciting new developments coming out of the kingdom’s construction industry, the Meed Projects construction project preview and webinar is a fantastic tool for construction professionals to discover the immense business opportunities in Saudi Arabia. This combination of exclusive industry insights and market intelligence, coupled with the physical meeting place that only The Big 5 Saudi offers, makes the event an unmissable opportunity for anyone in the construction industry aiming to do business in Saudi Arabia.”
Similarly, the report refers to the historic introduction of a new visit-visa system in the kingdom as having positive implications for the construction industry. It notes that $27 billion worth of project agreements with local and international investors have been made by the Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority (Sagia) and Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), including plans to develop a shopping mall with the region’s largest indoor ski slope and snow park.
With a mission to fully equip the sector amidst huge development plans, The Big 5 Saudi also features 50 free-to-attend and CPD (Continuing Professional Development)-certified educational seminars covering the latest in construction technologies and regulations, presented by industry experts and opinion leaders.
In conjunction with the show, the organisers will conduct a dedicated Saudi VIP Buyers’ Program, reserved parking, Platinum Lounge access, dedicated information help desk and direct access to the exhibitors’ mailing list to arrange meetings during the show dates.
The organisers have also launched a distinctive dedicated visitors guide campaign targeting more than 100,000 professionals.
The official sponsors of this year’s event include Katerra Company, which is the Platinum Sponsor; Al Bawani Contracting – Contracting Sponsor; Al Latifa Trading & Contracting Company – Gold Sponsor; and Oscar Paints – Official Paint Sponsor.
The event also enjoys the support of a number of standards organisations including GCC Standardization Organization (GSO); Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE); World Green Building Council (WGBC); and World Safety Organisation (WSO).
“These authorities will conduct knowledge-driven workshops, face-to-face meetings at their stands with both exhibitors and visitors, and promote The Big 5 Saudi platform to their members with direct invitations from all around Saudi Arabia,” the spokesman points out.
Last year’s event attracted a total of 13,018 visitors. It showcased the latest and the popular innovative products of 245 companies coming from 21 countries over a total exhibition space of 12,240 sq m.
According to dmg events, 88 per cent of exhibitors at last year’s Big 5 Saudi rated the event as important to their business, 82 per cent of them stated that they met their objectives/goals at the event; and 82 per cent of them generated sales for the next 12 months as a result of their participation.
An even larger percentage of visitors expressed satisfaction with the show, with 90 per cent of them stating that The Big 5 Saudi is important to their business; 86 per cent satisfied with the show and 81 per cent indicating their interest in returning to the event this year.
