The Big 5 Saudi 2023 draws over 750 top industry players

More than 750 local and international companies from across the globe are showcasing their products and services at The Big 5 Saudi 2023, the largest construction event in the kingdom, which opened yesterday (February 18) at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center.

For the next three days, the 11th edition of The Big 5 Saudi will be hosting more than 28,000 participants as well as twice the number of exhibitors compared to last year.

The event is co-located with specialty events HVAC R Expo Saudi, Stone & Surface Saudi Arabia, and FM Expo Saudi, the exhibition covers 8 product sectors: Building Envelope & Special Construction, Building Interiors & Finishes, Construction Technologies & Innovations, Building Materials & Tools, Solar & MEP Services, Offsite & Modular Construction, Plant Machinery & Vehicles, and Building Security & Access Control.

This year will mark the launch of the inaugural editions of the Windows, Doors & Facades and Saudi Glass at the event, thus providing visitors in Saudi Arabia with unparalleled access to leading brands in these fields.

The 11th edition of Big 5 Saudi will also boast the largest international presence, with exhibitors from more than 40 countries showcasing the best in construction technologies and cutting-edge innovation, said the organiser dmg events.

Leading global players in the built environment, including Türkiye’s FEMAS and Kutahya Seramik, Dimas Solar and Temak from Greece, Masa and Topp Werk from Germany, Caleffi and Lu-ve Spa from Italy, as well as Ascen from UAE and OpenSpace from US, have put on display their state-of-the-art products and technologies that can transform the construction industry.

The Big 5 Saudi brings together organizations from around the world to connect with the kingdom's construction sector, which includes mega and giga projects, to support the country's ambitious transformation, stated the organiser.

The event was inaugurated by Saudi Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Engineer Osama bin Abdulaziz Al Zamil in the presence of senior officials and representatives of the exhibiting companies.

The Big 5 Saudi continues to demonstrate the nation's increasing attractiveness in the world of construction by gathering key businesses in the sector in support of the kingdom's ambitious Vision 2030 goals.

In line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the kingdom has driven nearly $1 trillion of real estate and infrastructure projects since 2016. Approximately $300 billion of which is earmarked for new construction, according to Ventures Onsite.

Leaders from the nation’s construction space such as Al Zamil Industrial, Masdar, Diesel Machinery Company, Al Zahid Group, Al Bawani, Naffco, SASO, and Roshn will showcase industry excellence as well as innovative and progressive products and services.

"We at Roshn are excited to participate in The Big 5 Saudi and showcase our success story to a global audience. Our company is a national real estate developer powered by the Public Investment Fund, committed to delivering high quality communities and other real estate assets to Saudi citizens," remarked its Group CEO David Grover.

"The Big 5 Saudi provides us with a unique opportunity to connect with potential investors and large-scale contractors. We look forward to building new partnerships and driving the industry forward at the event," he stated.

On the overwhelming response, Muhammed Kazi, VP (Construction) at dmg events, said the participation of local and international construction companies at The Big 5 Saudi has been tremendous.

"At the fully sold-out event, we have been able to bring together the best of what each country has to offer in terms of construction products, services, and expertise. It is a great way to engage with industry professionals and welcome huge international participation while also providing an opportunity for local businesses to showcase their offerings," noted Kazi.

In its largest edition to be ever held in the kingdom, The Big 5 Saudi will host 12 national pavilions that will demonstrate unique construction solutions from Austria, China, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Kuwait, Poland, Qatar, Spain, and Turkiye, thus, bringing together the key stakeholders from across the full construction value-chain to network, learn, and do business, stated the senior official.

As a vital event for the construction industry, the four-day trade exhibition will feature eight product sectors, including building envelope and special construction, building interiors and finishes, construction technologies and innovations, building materials and tools, solar and MEP services, plant machinery and vehicles, off-site and modular construction, and building security and access control, noted Kazi.

According to him, this edition has two new shows - Windows, Doors & Facades and Saudi Glass, catering to the growing demand for façade products in the kingdom.

Some of the top exhibitors at these shows are Schüco, Almoosa Doors, Alinma, Alliaverre, and Façade Solutions. The new shows will be hosted in line with The Big 5 Saudi’s co-located events including HVAC R Expo Saudi, Surface and Stone Saudi Arabia, and FM Expo Saudi, he added.

According to dmg events, 40 free-to-attend Continuing Professional Development) certified talks will be held during the four-day event.

The opening day alone was witness to a series of six CPD being hosted covering various industry related topics.

Industry experts including Engineer Ibrahim A Alqahtani, Conformity Assessment Specialist, SASO; Amr Abdeljalil, the Managing Partner at Contracts Management Experts (CME); Jason Morris, the Managing Director (Project Management and Construction Management International) at KEO International Consultants; Christos Emmanouilidis, the Chief Customer and Commercial Officer at Danaos; Mohammed El Khamissy, the Group Chief Finance Officer and Advisor to the Board, Bluu and Aarti Thadani, the Counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright (Middle East) LLP conducted informative talks covering key topics including integrated project delivery, industrialized construction for value engineering, risk and resilience in project management, and BIM as contracts management creative practice.

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), a Supporting Partner of The Big 5 Saudi, also hosted an evening networking session, which is open to attendees, said the organiser.

The 2023 edition of The Big 5 Saudi is being sponsored by industry leaders including Afaq Wood Industries Factory, Bluu, Carrier, Saudi Services Company Limited, Zamil Industrial, SABB, Al Bawani, Midea and SRACO, it added.-TradeArabia News Service