Crucial international partnerships to be developed at The Big 5 Saudi

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4 Mar 2018

The 8th edition of the premier trade event for the construction industry, The Big 5 Saudi 2018, will play a pivotal role in establishing much needed international partnerships in the Kingdom as Vision 2030 unfolds, experts anticipate.

“With a growing population outnumbering its GCC neighbours, Saudi’s construction industry has vast potential to grow,” says Eng. Ibrahim Albuloushi, Country Head KSA for JLL.

“The recent economic and social reforms, PPP and privatisation efforts being made by the government, will bring in additional demand, SMEs, better quality services to end users, and the needed financing to fund the recently announced ambitious mega-projects,” Albuloushi adds.

With a combined estimated value of USD 852.3 billion, over 4,700 active construction projects are currently underway in Saudi Arabia. In order to meet the requirements of these projects, international partnerships are strongly needed in the Kingdom today.

According to Lucas Pastor, Corporate Business Development Sr Manager at Arabian Bemco Contracting Co, “The projects in the pipeline, especially the PPP ones, require international know-how and financial resources.

“At the same time, the strategy of the Kingdom to promote the local employment implies the necessity of the local companies to be involved in these projects as local manufacturers and/or local contractors.”

For this reason, Pastor adds, “International partnerships are a must right now in Saudi Arabia more than ever before, and events like The Big 5 Saudi are the perfect scenario to promote such partnerships.”

Running from 5 to 8 March at the Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events, The Big 5 Saudi 2018 gathers 400 exhibitors from 18 countries, hosting country pavilions from Belgium, China, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, and United States of America.

Showcasing a varied wealth of building materials and construction solutions, including bathroom and kitchen fittings, smart city resources, steel and solar technology, the event also displays concrete & PMV equipment and material handling in an outdoor zone dedicated to heavy machinery and warehousing products.

“The Big 5 Saudi 2018 gathers many international and regional brands presenting innovations in construction, advanced and smart technology products. All of this embraces Saudi Vision 2030, with a strong focus on fast execution, development, and productivity in an encouraging market,” says Roni El Haddad, Event Director of The Big 5 Saudi.

Omar Khayal, Business Development Manager at special solutions exhibitor RIVA GmbH Engineering, adds: “The upcoming years show great prospective and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 supports and drives the market towards new development and infrastructural expansions.

“The Big 5 in Saudi is a great possibility to present our company and products to the local architects, investors and market representatives.”

With more than 3,300 projects, today urban construction represents 70% of all construction activities in the country, the event’s intelligence partner, BNC Network, reports. “Housing is the most significant area of expenditure under Saudi Vision 2030, with the aim to grow the real estate sector contribution to GDP from 5% to 10% by the deadline,” El Haddad comments.

“For this reason, we are absolutely honoured to have Saudi Arabia’s Building Technology Stimulus Fund (BTSF) as Strategic Partner of The Big 5 Saudi 2018,” he continues. An initiative of the Saudi Ministry of Housing, the Fund is dedicated to increasing building technologies capacity to meet urban development goals in the Kingdom.

The event also enjoys the support of Al Bawani, the company behind some of the most prominent construction projects in the Kingdom, like the Saudi-Bahrain viaduct, and the King Abdullah Center for Oncology and Liver Disease 24 Story tower, part of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital Mega Project in Riyadh completed recently.

“Al Bawani understands that creating the appetite and competencies for undertaking ground-breaking projects like these need to be fostered in the Kingdom if the intentions of Vision 2030 are to be fully realized,” according to Fakher Al Shawaf, General Manager of Al Bawani.

“We see The Big 5 Saudi as the ideal vehicle to spur new interest in the general population, inspire enterprise in the construction industry and cultivate greater awareness of what is possible among employers. The Big 5 Saudi highlights the best of what is involved in the Construction Industry in an excellent venue and is worthy of Al Bawani Company’s continued support,” Al Shawaf adds.

The event also offers an increased education agenda this year, with 54 free-to-attend Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certified workshops. Curated by trusted regional experts, the sessions are divided into themes across three theatres: General Construction, Project Management, and Sustainability, Architecture & Design.

“CPD-certified workshops are a key means to spread information among all stakeholders and the program for 2018 is both in-depth and extensive in the breadth of the subjects offered for those attending,” comments Al Shawaf.

Organized by dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa and MICE Arabia, The Big 5 Saudi is co-located with Wood Tech & Design Expo Saudi 2018. The event is supported by Al Bawani as Platinum Sponsor and Registration Sponsor, GROHE and Al Yamamah as Gold Sponsors, and the Building Technology Stimulus Fund as Strategic Partner.

The Big 5 Saudi is free to attend for trade professionals and over 18s only. To know more, visit www.thebig5saudi.com.