GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDIZATION ORGANIZATIONS ANNOUNCE SUPPORT TO THE BIG 5 SAUDI AS THE KINGDOM STRENGTHENS FOCUS ON CONSTRUCTION QUALITY
The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), the Saudi Building Code National Committee (SBCNC), and the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) have signed a partnership to support The Big 5 Saudi (10-13 March 2019, Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events), organisers dmg events announce.
At the event, the governmental organizations, which are committed to protect consumers and strengthen the competitiveness of the national economy, will provide crucial intelligence to local and international participants, paving the way for the future development of the Saudi construction industry.
The partnerships come at a time when more than 5,200 projects are under construction in the Kingdom, and confirm The Big 5 Saudi’s role as a key platform to advance the sector and meet the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 plans.
[Read more at: OVER USD 800 BILLION INVESTED IN SAUDI ARABIA’S CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS]
Announcing GSO’s participation at The Big 5 Saudi 2019, H.E Saud Al-Khusaibi, GSO Secretary General, said:
“The GSO is working to disseminate and promote knowledge of standardization and related activities and quality for industrial, commercial and public consumers. It is also committed to improving the quality of products, goods and materials locally manufactured or imported to the GCC Common Market.”
Al-Khusaibi added:
“In this context, GSO is participating in The Big 5 Saudi to raise awareness about sustainable and green buildings and constructions by presenting Gulf standards and technical regulations related to this sector. We will also present our efforts in developing the GCC Building Code for a healthy environment, as well as for the stability and solidity of buildings.”
Roni El Haddad, Event Director of The Big 5 Saudi, said:
“We are honored to welcome SASO, SBCNC, and GSO to The Big 5 Saudi 2019. As the Kingdom unrolls USD 819 billion worth of construction projects, these partnerships will not only move the building and construction industry forward: they will help elevating the Saudi market to topnotch standards.
“With a 6.13% annualized average growth expected between 2018 and 2022, opportunities for global and local industry players in Saudi Arabia are massive. However, it’s not just the size of the market that is changing today: multi-billion projects like NEOM or the Amaala resort on the Red Sea are now truly raising the bar in terms of sustainability, safety and quality of buildings and infrastructure development in the Kingdom. Everyone working in construction or aiming to enter the Saudi market should be aware of the enhanced standards and requirements,” El Haddad concluded.
Anticipating construction trends and providing business and learning opportunities to industry professionals, the 9th edition of The Big 5 Saudi will bring together hundreds of local and international construction buyers and suppliers from 10 to 13 March 2019 at the Jeddah Centre for Forum & Events.
For the first time, the event will host official country pavilions from Egypt and Pakistan, alongside Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, India, Turkey and China, among others. More than 100 top Saudi construction players will also exhibit at The Big 5 Saudi 2019, displaying the latest technologies and building solutions across eight dedicated product sectors.
A special focus on the HVAC R sector and a wide outdoor area showcasing solar solutions, heavy machinery and outdoor furnishing will be among the upcoming edition’s new features. Over 80 CPD-certified and free to attend workshops will be also delivered by industry experts across the four days of the event.
The Big 5 Saudi 2019 is supported by Al Fouzan Trading & General Construction Co. (Gold Sponsor), Astrolabs (Entrepreneurship Partner), The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), the Saudi Building Code National Committee (SBCNC), the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO), and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce.
To know more about the event, visit www.thebig5saudi.com.
About SASO
The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) was established pursuant to the Royal Decree No. M/10 dated 03/03/1392 H as a body of judicial personality and of an independent budget. A board of directors, headed by his Excellency the Minister of Commerce and Investment and comprised of representatives of the major sectors concerned with standardization in the Kingdom, outlines the general policy of SASO. SASO was one of the first pure technical governmental bodies. It governs the organizational and executive tasks related to standards, metrology and quality, including laying down and accrediting Saudi standards of goods, products and services, measurement and calibration bodies, and procedures of conformity evaluation and certification. SASO is also responsible for accrediting laboratories and certification bodies for quality systems and setting methods of sampling, testing, technical inspection as well as setting quality systems. Moreover, it is entrusted for assigning principles and conditions for technical implementation, classifications and engineering drawings as well as setting terms, definitions, symbols and other tasks issued by SASO's Board of Directors in the fields of standards, metrology, calibration and quality, with no interference with other sectors' tasks stipulated officially, especially tasks related to products and other matters of the specialty of Saudi Food and Drug Authority.
About GSO
The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) is a Regional Standardization Organization (RSO) which was established by the resolution of the GCC Supreme Council (22nd Session, Muscat, Oman, 30-31 December 2001) and assumed its operation in May 2004 with membership of the governments of The State of the United Arab Emirates, The Kingdom of Bahrain, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, The Sultanate of Oman, The State of Qatar, and The State of Kuwait. In January 2010, The GSO Council approved joining the Republic of Yemen as a full member in GSO. The mission of GSO is to assist the States of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) to achieve the objectives set forth in its Charter and in the GCC Economic Agreement by unifying the various standardization activities and following up implementation and compliance with the same in cooperation and coordination with the standardization bodies in the Member States (NSBs) to develop the production and service sectors, foster the intra-GCC trade, protect the consumer, environment and the public health, enhance the GCC economy and its competitiveness and meet the requirements of Gulf Custom Union and Gulf Common Market.