The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) has joined hands with the Saudi Building Code National Committee (SBCNC), and the GCC Standardization Organisation (GSO) to support the upcoming Big 5 Saudi expo in Jeddah.

The event will be held from March 10 to 13 at Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events, said the event organisers dmg events.

During the expo, the governmental organisations, 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, they stated.

The partnerships come at a time when more than 5,200 projects are under construction across 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.

Announcing GSO’s participation at the upcoming event, Saud Al Khusaibi, the secretary general, said: "We are working to disseminate and promote knowledge of standardisation and related activities and quality for industrial, commercial and public consumers."

"GSO is also committed to improving the quality of products, goods and materials locally manufactured or imported to the GCC Common Market," he stated.

Al Khusaibi said: "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, the event director of The Big 5 Saudi, said: "We are honoured to welcome Saso, SBCNC, and GSO to The Big 5 Saudi 2019. As the kingdom unrolls $819 billion worth of construction projects, these partnerships will not only move the building and construction industry forward: they will help elevate the Saudi market to topnotch standards."

"With a 6.13 per cent annualised average growth expected between 2018 and 2022, opportunities for global and local industry players in Saudi Arabia are massive," noted El Haddad.

"However, it’s not just the size of the market that is changing today: multi-billion-dollar 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," he stated.

"Everyone working in construction or aiming to enter the Saudi market should be aware of the enhanced standards and requirements," he added.

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, said the organisers.

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, it stated.

The Big 5 Saudi 2019 is also being supported by Al Fouzan Trading & General Construction Company (Gold Sponsor), Astrolabs (Entrepreneurship Partner)  and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce.-TradeArabia News Service