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DUBAI / WAM
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, officially inaugurated the 39th edition of The Big 5 International Building and Construction Show on Monday, which will run until November 29 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
This year, five exhibitions run as part of The Big 5, creating one mega event for the entire construction life-cycle: HVAC R Expo – the new event dedicated to the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC R) industry: ; The Big 5 Solar – bringing solar solutions for construction; the Urban Design and Landscaping Expo (UDLE) – the region’s only event dedicated to landscaping, infrastructure and urban development; The Big 5 Heavy – the leading event dedicated to infrastructure and heavy construction in the Middle East; and Middle East Concrete(MEC) – the region’s largest event dedicated to concrete.
Over 2,500 global exhibiting companies and more than 30 official country pavilions display the latest building solutions and innovative products at the event. The broad international participation, which is expected to cater to the needs of the regional construction industry, demonstrates a growing interest in the expanding GCC market.
According to The Big 5’s intelligence partner, BNC Network, over 23,000 construction projects are currently active in GCC worth more than $2.3 trillion.
The urban construction sector has the highest number of projects (18,000), with the most significant segment coming from residential, commercial and hospitality developments. With the sector having expanded by 4% in terms of value and 15% in terms of total active projects in the first half of 2018, the outlook for the GCC construction industry remains positive.
On its opening day, The Big 5 2018 introduced two new features that aim to advance the construction sector by embracing innovation and technology: the brand new Live Innovation Zone, hosting a selection of the most innovative products that are shaking up the construction industry today, and The Big 5’s Start-Up City, presenting the next construction tech disruptors.
The event also hosted the first FutureTech Construction Summit themed “Empowering Innovation in the Construction Ecosystem”. Speakers presented some of the latest and most promising technologies, which will help the construction industry achieve higher productivity, greater sustainability and enhanced affordability.
Addressing the audience at the Futuretech Construction Summit, Josine Heijmans, Portfolio Director at dmg events, said: “In a world where innovation and technology are more and more crucial to remain competitive, the construction sector is still widely considered a late technology adopter. Yet, technology has an enormous potential within the sector.
“From Robotics and Artificial Intelligence to 3D Printing, from Virtual Reality to smart building and IT solutions, a variety of tech innovations have the power to shake up the construction industry today, to improve its productivity, and increase its sustainability and affordability.
“Innovation and technology are considered key elements also to realizing the UAE Vision 2021. It is therefore of essence for the regional construction sector to embrace innovation and the vast development opportunities offered by technological innovations.”