SAUDI ARABIA'S CONSTRUCTION MARKET ATTRACTS INDUSTRY LEADERS FROM 20+ COUNTRIES

Market leaders from Saudi Arabia including Zamil Industrial, Sabic, Al Omran Group, Al Yamamah Company for Reinforcing Steel Bars, Saudi Industries for PVC Windows Co. LTD. (Wintek) & Saudi Industries for Pipes Co. are exhibiting along with international manufacturers of construction products. Regional countries also have a strong presence at The Big 5 Saudi 2017, represented by industry leaders such as Ace Crane Systems LLC, Harwal Group, RakTherm, Salam Enterprises Company and Laticrete Middle East.

Qatar is one of the country pavilions present at the event this year, with 29 companies manufacturing a wide range of products for the built environment, from concrete pipes to lighting solutions, construction panels and aluminium fabrications. According to the Qatar Development Bank’s events officer, Saoud Algosaibi, “Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest markets for construction not only in the Middle East but in the whole world.”

“The Big 5 Saudi’s broad international participation provides our local companies exposure that goes well beyond the Saudi borders, connecting them to the global market.” With the aim of increasing the Qatari export by developing local manufacturers, the Qatar Development Bank is providing complete support to Qatari companies participating in the exhibition. “This is our third time at The Big 5 Saudi. Previous participations have been very successful in supporting our local construction manufacturers and this is why we keep coming back,” Mr Algosaibi added.

Opportunities offered by the Saudi construction market is attracting multinational companies as well. “We want to be present in the Saudi market and that’s why we’ve participated in the show for many years,” Sujit Sing, Managing Director of Laticrete Middle East & Africa, said. “We started our operations in the Kingdom a few years back and we are currently working on some major projects here, including several hospitals in Riyadh and Aramco developments. In light of the great potential our company sees in the Saudi market, we are planning to also build a manufacturing unit in the Kingdom in future,” Vivek Mohile, Laticrete’s General Manager Sales & Marketing in Saudi Arabia, added. 

“With a focus on showcasing the latest technologies for the construction industry, The Big 5 Saudi 2017 is an unmissable platform to discover what’s new in the market, network and learn,” Nathan Waugh, Portfolio Events Director, said. The largest construction event of the Kingdom is offering 48 CPD (Continued Professional Development) certified workshops on Project Management, Innovation & Technology, and Sustainability in Construction this year. On March 27 and 28, hundreds of construction professionals already took advantage of the opportunity, getting the latest insights from industry experts like Ayman Ahmed El Beda, Project Manager and Head of Architecture at ACE.

On the last two days of the event, Wael Khalil, a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI Risk Management Professional (RMP) with 20 years’ experience as a senior Trainer & Business Consultant, will discuss PMOs in the context of fulfilling Saudi Vision 2030 expectations. “There is an abundance of projects, initiatives and portfolios in the Kingdom and PMOs will need to do their fair share to help reap the benefits from these available opportunities,” according to Mr Khalil.

At the Technology and Innovation theatre also on March 29, industry experts will present four dedicated workshops to visitors attending the event. At 4:15 PM, the education program will kick-off with the “Future of 3D Printing and Design” by Aliasgar Chakkiwala, Partner at Future Fountain Technical Works, while at 5:30 PM, Mohammed Bin Saleh, Founder & CEO, Value Innovation Management Consultancy, will unveil how new technologies can help SMEs take the lead in the next 10 years. 

Hazim M Abdulwahid, President of Hazim Consultancy will discuss “Recent innovation in Bridges structural assessments” from 7:00 PM, followed by Essam Mohamed Lotffy Farid, Project Manager at Royal Advance LLC, who will take the audience through the “Role of Innovation in Change Management”.

Dr Mohammed S. Al Surf, Chairman of Education and Scientific Committee of the Saudi Green Building Forum, and Mario Seneviratne, Director of Green Technologies FZCO, will present four workshops in the Sustainability theatre of The Big 5 Saudi 2017. “One presentation will discuss LEED tips that are effective and easy to use, that both Architects and Engineers can implement to generate a significant impact on energy consumption and saving,” said Seneviratne.

The Big 5 Saudi 2017 will run until March 30 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events. The 7^th edition of the event organised by M.I.C.E. Arabia and dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa is hosting more than 500 exhibitors from 20+ countries, including country pavilions from Italy, Turkey, Germany, Greece, China, Qatar, Kuwait, Spain, Hungary and India.

To know more about the event, visit www.thebig5saudi.com.