Leading French companies will be showcasing their innovative products and technologies to local construction professionals at the Project Qatar expo to be held from May 8 to 11 in Doha.

The French Pavilion, being  hosted by Business France, national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, will be focusing on sustainable and environment-friendly buildings, energy efficiency and timber constructions.

Also it will highlight smart buildings and home automation solutions to reinforce partnerships with existing projects and develop new joint-ventures and engage negotiations with local contractors, distributors and agents in new areas of activities in Qatar.

In a sector where safety is outstanding, the select delegation of French companies renowned for their expertise in the area of high-quality projects, such as five-star hotels and villas, public buildings such as shopping malls, schools and stadiums, attending Project Qatar will be a significant achievement.

French exhibitors will then seize the opportunity to present smart cities solutions, bioclimatic materials, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) solutions, among other specific offers.

Christelle Peyran, the head of Business France Qatar, said: "France is focused on energy efficiency, sustainable development and R&D (research and development). France invested 18,8 billion euros in 2015 in renovation and energy retrofits, becoming the third market in Europe in terms of eco-friendly buildings."

About 21 per cent of French companies in building sector have a R&D centre to develop new materials, stated Peyran.

The top French companies at the expo include:

Bridgin: A manufacturer of measurement, marking and topography equipment, a new real-time depth and slope control tool for all buckets

Guard Industrie : A manufacturer of solutions to protect, decorate, consolidate and clean materials

Icopal SAS: A key player in waterproofing systems, in particular membranes, but also construction and roofing materials.

Aximum: Renowned for industrial expertise and construction-work know-how at the service of safe and reliable mobility

Controlab: A key player in conception, development, manufacturing and marketing of laboratory equipment for civil and mechanical engineering

Serge Ferrari SAS: A leading French industrial group in the field of composite membranes.

Sterela : Electronic systems for transport (air/road) /traffic measurement checking, road traffic management –

Terreal: A manufacturer of tiles and other terracotta products

The French construction sector is quite fragmented with around 350,000 French companies hiring a workforce of 1.5 million and sales revenues of €129 billion.

“In Project Qatar 2017, we have selected the best companies to match Qatar’s expectations of high quality standards and cost effective solutions”, he added.

According to experts, the construction industry alone in Qatar represents 5.7 per cent of the GDP.

After being awarded the 2022 Fifa World Cup, Qatar rapidly embarked upon an intensive investment programme in major infrastructure projects. There is also a growing demand for sustainable development, with profitable segments being hotels and "green" construction that encourage the use of innovative products, they added.-TradeArabia News Service