SBIE ... will put the spotlight on the latest products in the industry.
Saudi expo to focus on real estate
A major international show for the building and interiors industry will feature new sectors and showcase the latest trends when it opens in Jeddah this month.
01 April 2004
Saudi Arabia’s major international show for the building and interiors industry – Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition (SBIE 2004) – will showcase an extensive range of products and services for building and interiors when it opens in Jeddah this month.
The 13th SBIE, which will take place at the Jeddah International Exhibition Convention Centre from April 25 to 29, is organised by Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions Limited (ACE).
SBIE 2004 sees an important change: now includes Saudi Real Estate, an area that has in recent years grown in importance.
“With the significant addition of Saudi Real Estate into the show profile, we have added a vital element that will serve as a direct investment route to the building and interior sectors,” says a spokesman for Al Harithy Company.
In response to feedback received from visitors and exhibitors, the event is now held annually since last year, as opposed to the previous biennial programme.
There has been a lot of activity in the construction and interior segment in the Kingdom over the last couple of years. “Several leisure industry projects are in the final planning stages in the Western Region as Saudi Arabia embarks on an ambitious programme to develop and market tourism,” he says.
Elaborating on the development, he adds: “New hotels, furnished apartments, holiday resorts and hospitals are emerging in Taif – a tourist destination about 200 km from Jeddah. To cater effectively to this ever-expanding industry, since last year, the SBIE has been made an annual event from the earlier biennial show and has been broadened to cover the parallel sector of interior design.
Jeddah, the commercial and leisure centre of the Kingdom, is set for one of its biggest building programmes for years, with an estimated cost of SR20 billion ($5.3 billion). This huge growth in infrastructure, tourism and redevelopment will once more provide vast opportunities, and SBIE will be at the forefront of providing visitors and exhibitors with an unrivalled showcase.
“To satisfy the needs of this dynamic industry, organising the interiors exhibition alongside the buildings segment has proven to be extremely effective. This fruitful combination provides the ideal medium to attract not only engineers, architects, consultants, specifiers and designers, but a wider professional audience including the hotel managers, school/hospital administrators, company/bank directors, as well as manufacturers and businessmen at large,” he adds.
SBIE 2004 will have a stronger international presence, as it will function as an ideal platform to access the vast future potential of Iraq besides offering ample domestic opportunities, he says.
“Despite difficulties in the region, SBIE 2003 attracted a large number of local as well as international exhibitors. Participants were happy with the levels of business conducted, which were extremely high and the show was hailed by both exhibitors and visitors alike as a success,” claims the spokesman.
Parallel to the show, the Saudi Council of Engineers will organise a symposium offering free consultation to visitors by the industry experts. In addition, seminars and presentations will be held within the frame of the exhibition, the spokesman says.
At this year’s exhibition the organisers plan to attract more than 400 brand names, which will be exhibited on nearly 200 stands from 17 countries including. Companies from Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Lebanon, Malaysia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE and the UK, alongside a large contingent of leading Saudi companies are expected to display the latest in the sector during the exhibition.
Says the spokesman: “The sectors that will be on display is rather wide and will represent: construction materials and services, equipment, finishing materials, interiors and furniture, electrical and lightning products, doors and windows, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, ceramics, sanitary ware, shop fitting and many more.
“Visitors are assured of an event that will provide a unique environment in which to conduct business. This year’s show is predicted to be 20 per cent larger than the previous edition.
“The exhibition is forecast to attract more than 10,000 trade and professional visitors and will serve as a main platform for professional interaction between supplier and clientele.”
Annually, SBIE brings new companies to the Saudi market, rendering assistance in getting investments for construction sector of the country, developing local manufacturing, and also assist in regulating the export of local output, he concludes.
