Big 5, the largest construction and building industry showcase in the Middle East region, has opened today (November 21) in Dubai, UAE, with more than 3,100 exhibitors from 142 countries across the globe taking part.

Over the next three days, The Big 5 is expected to attract 75,000 participants across the entire Dubai World Trade Centre venue along with national pavilions from all major exporting countries in East and West.

The expo was inaugurated by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai & Minister of Finance&Industry, UAE in the presence of senior government officials and other leading industry players.

This year, teams from Germany, Italy, France, China, Austria, India (with its 'Made in India' initiative)  and Brazil (through the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce) will be out in force with their innovative products showcasing them before visitors from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt and Pakistan, said the organiser dmg events.

The region's high-profile event will also highlight the latest trends in the building and construction industry, while focusing on smooth delivery of $2 trillion worth of construction projects in Gulf countries, it stated.

The construction sector is among the key pillars of Dubai’s economy beside trade, tourism and banking.

According to a recent international report, the value of Dubai’s construction projects in the execution and planning stages is expected to reach a record of $390.7 billion this year. A total of 13.7 per cent of these projects, which are valued $53.5 billion, are currently under progress despite the oil slump.

Commercial and residential units, education, health care and hospitality buildings, leisure and recreation facilities, religious buildings, retail facilities and mixed-use urban developments make up approximately 77 per cent of all projects in Dubai, said the organiser.

 “A growing population, the tourism sector, strategic government investments like the Dubai Plan 2021 and the Dubai Expo 2020 are fuelling the local construction industry,” remarked Josine Heijmans, event director of The Big 5.

The report estimated that the total spend on infrastructure projects related to Dubai Expo 2020 might reach up to $18 billion, with estimated development costs of the Dubai South area between $8.1 billion and $8.7 billion.

This year's Big 5 has several specatcular features including dedicated product sectors, live product demonstration, a one-day Excellence in Construction Summit, a tools demonstration besides a brand new floorplan layout clustered in five product sectors.

The five product sectors in which exhibitors will be grouped this year are: Building Interiors & Finishes, MEP Services, Building Envelop & Special Construction, Construction Tools & Building Materials, and Smart Building & Design technologies.

Heijmans is confident the new layout will facilitate business opportunities, while effectively responding to the current needs of all construction industry professionals.  

“One of the key reasons for our visitors to attend The Big 5 is to look for specific products, innovations and new technologies as well to network with new or existing business partners and industry peers”, she stated.

"Although the event’s old layout already accommodated dedicated product sectors, the majority of the international exhibitors were located in country pavilions. This, coupled with the expansion of The Big 5 over the years, made it more challenging for attendees to find the specific products or the companies they were looking for," she explained.

The new floor plan is the result of a meticulous analysis of the industry’s current needs, she added.

Beyond offering both visitors and exhibitors a better experience, the new floor plan is studied to align with the construction industry’s current trends, as the introduction of the Smart Building & Design Technologies sector shows.

Heijmans also promises a stronger focus on the theme of sustainability at The Big 5 this year.

"Visitors will be able to cast their vote for the show’s GAIA Awards, which since 2008 honour companies in the construction sector whose products and services demonstrate a reduction of construction's impact on the environment. For the first time ever, the GAIA Awards’ judging panel will include these votes in their decision while selecting the final winner of 2016," she added.

Another key highlight is the dmg events' strategic partnership with Dubai Economic Council (DEC) for the debut “Excellence in Construction Summit” on the sidelines of the expo.

Taking place tomorrow (November 22), the summit will gather 500 industry leaders to discuss current and future trends of the construction sector in Dubai, the GCC region and beyond.  

Besides this, the giant construction expo will also feature key events such as the FM Expo, PMV Live and Middle East Concrete thus providing complete building solutions to those attending the event.

PMV Live is the region’s most important event for heavy construction machinery, plant equipment, and commercial and construction vehicles, while Middle East Concrete, the region’s only event dedicated to the concrete industry, presents a prime opportunity to meet with the top global suppliers of everything from construction chemicals to form work to precast machinery.-TradeArabia News Service