Leading players in the building and construction sector from across the globe will gather in Cairo this September for the debut launch of The Big 5 Construct Egypt, the biggest industry event to be held in the North African country.  

The mega event comes at a time when the Egyptian tourism sector is receiving an unprecedented boost with tourists’ arrival numbers surging by over 50 per cent in 2017.

The newly-appointed Minister of Tourism Rania Al Mashat has launched a reform programme that is expected to further revamp the Egyptian hospitality sector. Experts predict that, as a result, gains will be huge in the construction industry.

As the country gets ready to host a growing number of tourists, investments in new hospitality projects in Egypt amount to $7.9 billion in 2018.

According to a recent BNC Intelligence report published by The Big 5 Construct Egypt, the international event for the construction industry set to launch next September in Cairo, nearly 60 per cent of the projects are in the concept and design phases.

“These figures show that there’s a truly healthy pipeline of new hospitality projects expected to come on stream in the next few years,” remarked Josine Heijmans, the portfolio event director of The Big 5 Construct Egypt.

A $380-million expansion of the Four Seasons resort will be completed by the end of 2018 in Sharm El Sheikh, while the coastal Governorate of Matrouh is developing a $270-million hotel apartment complex, the Address Resort Marassi at Sidi Abdul Rahman worth $150 million, and the Agiba Beach, a project valued $135 million.

Leading the list of construction activities, the capital Cairo is set to host the $300-million Address Hotel in Emaar Square Development within the next two years, a new Crown Plaza Hotel at Arkan Plaza worth $300 million in 2021, and the Secon Nile Towers, a $131-million investment, by the end of this year.

Alexandria is also expected to host some of the country’s major developments: the $225-million Phase One of City Stars Al Sahel at North Coast will be completed by the end of 2019, along with Phase One of the $124-million Hayat Alex Park.

"Major cities such as Cairo are expected to offer nearly 17,500 branded hotel rooms in the coming year, including Fairmont Pyramids Hotel & Residences and Hilton Garden Inn in Cairo Business Park," remarked Heijmans.

“The Egyptian government is accelerating investments in the tourism and hospitality sector in order to diversify economic activities and increase employment rates. This inevitably opens up huge opportunities in the construction sector, opportunities that both Egyptian and international players are eying,” she added.  

In the backdrop of ongoing construction projects worth $363 billion, Cairo will be hosting the debut Big 5 Construct Egypt exhibition from September 18 to 21 at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre.

The largest portfolio of construction events in the Middle East, The Big 5 has identified Egypt as the next place-to-be for construction manufacturers and players from around the globe as the country embarks on huge infrastructure and construction projects, said Heijmans.

"There’s an avid interest in the Egyptian construction sector right now," she pointed out. “Some of the largest manufacturers and distributors of building products and materials have signed up important partnership agreements with us, including the international Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the Saudi-based Al Bawani Company, and the Egyptian Sphinx Glass, Ezzsteel, and Al Amal," she said.

“International participation is expected to be huge at The Big 5 Construct Egypt 2018, and Greece has already secured a prominent space becoming our official country partner for this launch edition of the event,” remarked Heijmans.

One of the world market leaders in equipment for the concrete industry, the German Zenith Maschinenfabrik, will be also exhibiting at The Big 5 Construct Egypt, she added.

The Big 5 Construct Egypt will feature six dedicated product sectors: Plant Machinery and Vehicles (PMV), MEP Services, Building Interiors & Finishes, Building Envelope & Special Construction, Construction Tools & Building Materials, and Construction Technology & Innovation.

Showcasing thousands of innovative products and solutions for the built environment, the event will gather hundreds of local and international suppliers under one roof.

Free educational sessions will also be offered at the show, where regional industry experts will present CPD-accredited workshops on the construction sector's hottest topics.-TradeArabia News Service