With more than 3,000 exhibitors, a huge variety of new events, and exciting initiatives planned at the biggest construction show in the Middle East, next month’s Big 5 – which has been growing year on year – promises to be even bigger and better.

The show, covering an area of 38,000 sq m of booked exhibition space, will be held from November 23 to 27 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, against the backdrop of a construction boom that is pervading across the Gulf region.
Speaking on the important role played by the show in building the region, Bernard Walsh, managing director of dmg world media Dubai, the organiser of the Big 5 says: “The Big 5 is the most important five days for the construction industry in the Middle East and the platform for suppliers competing for multi-billion-dollar contracts in the region.  Not only is it the largest for the industry in the Arabian Gulf but it is also now one of the world’s largest trade shows for the construction industry and associated suppliers.”
dmg world media Dubai, part of the dmg world media group of companies, is an acknowledged leader in the region’s exhibitions industry since 1999. Its portfolio includes some of the largest exhibitions in the Middle East.
The Big 5 represents seven core industry segments: building and construction, water technology and environment, air-conditioning and refrigeration, cleaning and maintenance, glass and metal, bathrooms and ceramics, and marble and stone.
Running alongside the Big 5 is the Big 5 PMV, a specialist show for plant, heavy machinery and large vehicles, which is staged by Streamline Marketing Group, on behalf of dmg world media. The PMV will be co-located with The Big 5 for the first time this year.
One of the most successful trade fairs in Dubai, the Big 5 features national pavilions from all the major exporting countries of the world, alongside important local developers, contractors, importers, manufacturers and distributors. This year’s show will feature national pavilions from Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Malta, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the UK.
The German pavilion, which has grown year on year, will cover about 8,000 sq m net exhibition space (23 per cent higher than last year) in the Zabeel hall, the open air ground and the PMV hall, making it the biggest national pavilion at the Big 5. More than 370 companies – as compared to 300 last year – will offer high-quality products and services related to the construction sector. This will also be the largest German exhibition presence anywhere in the world.
For the first-time ever, the Big 5 will have a dedicated US pavilion. Featuring the best of American quality and know-how, 30 American companies will be showcasing a wide range of new products and technologies for the construction industry.
Last year’s show established a record with more than 37,500 sq m net space sold – attracting 2,839 exhibitors (79 per cent international), 30 government-sponsored national pavilions and 420 professional trade buyers (41 per cent international). 
The Big 5 is the annual meeting place for all industry professionals. More than 50,000 key buyers and decision-makers from the public and private sectors attended the 2007 event, including architects, engineers, contractors and other specifiers.
The exhibition, which is well poised to break all its past records, has grown in tandem with the region’s ongoing construction boom. As Walsh points out: “The phenomenal scale of building right now places the Gulf at the centre of the world’s most concentrated construction boom.”
With active civil building projects across the Arabian Gulf in excess of $1.8 trillion, demand for readymix cement, reinforcing steel and stone cladding is set to more than double next year before tailing off in 2010, according to the latest industry analysis.
Civil projects included in the $1.8 trillion are all commercial, education, health, residential, retail, hotel, leisure, entertainment, theatre, cinema and mixed-use buildings along with civil infrastructure such as canals, reclamation, airports, bridges, ports, roads and railways. Industrial, oil and gas, power, water and other projects are not included.

Environment & sustainability
The Big 5 is committed to advancing high-performance, energy-efficient green building solutions and environmentally-friendly technologies, according to dmg world media. Designed to raise awareness and support an active industry forum for discussion, technology and best practice adoption, the Big 5 Technical Conference unites international experts to present practical project case studies, UAE green building compliance requirements and rating schemes such as LEED.
The programme, compiled in conjunction with Ecospecifier International – a leading authority on verifying environmental claims and assessing lifecycle impacts of green building products and construction materials – will focus on the latest issues surrounding green building policy and requirements, and the best practices for green building technology, design and product sourcing.
 In addition, the launch of the Big 5 Gala Awards will provide a showcase for leading green products and services – the first of its kind in the region. All products and services exhibiting at this year’s event are eligible to enter the awards.
A judging panel, comprising senior individuals from local developers, contractors and government, has been assembled with the support of Ecospecifier International.  The showcase is expected to feature over 30 leading products and services.  
Visitors to the Big 5 will be able to source green building materials and solutions from among 3,000 exhibitors,  aided by a simple green product directory published within the official show catalogue. The green directory and Gala awards have been developed with the support of Ecospecifier International.
The Big 5 is also partnering with the British Safety Council to launch a series of eight health and safety workshops. Offering a robust overview of British Safety Council methodology and techniques, these courses demonstrate a high level of professionalism and commitment to health and safety. The workshops will cover different aspects of safety in the workplace, from risk assessment to fire safety, control of hazardous substances, accident reporting and investigation and environmental awareness.
The Big 5 has long been renowned as an industry leader in terms of providing ongoing education, seminars and demonstrations within the event itself. This year the technical seminars will be organised into themed categories relevant to the construction industry; this will give synergy to the overall presentations and will allow attendees to plan their time more effectively. The categories include: health and safety, environment, product innovations, cost-saving products and services, new releases, consultancy, technology and exteriors.