While the rest of the world prepares for gloomy days ahead in the wake of the financial tsunami that has hit stock markets worldwide, the Middle East region’s construction industry is gearing up for the most important five days in this calendar year.

Being held against the backdrop of the massive developments taking place in the GCC region, and featuring more than 3,000 companies with a wide range of attractions, the Big 5 show will feature international exhibitors and regional majors jostling for attention, as they seek to vie for a share of the new opportunities in this vital construction market.
The Big 5, which is the largest show for the construction industry in the Arabian Gulf region and one of the world’s largest trade shows for the global industry, opens this month (November 23 to 27) at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The exhibition, spread over 38,000 sq m, 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 organiser of the Big 5 show. The PMV will be co-located with The Big 5 for the first time this year.
Commenting on the record numbers this year, Paula Al Chami, exhibition director, dmg world media Dubai, says: “The exhibitors have been coming in record numbers to promote themselves in a region that is continuing to grow and develop. While the 2007 show featured more than 2,830 exhibiting companies from 53 countries, we already have well over 3,000 exhibiting companies for the coming show. We are also looking at more than 50,000 visitors this year.”
Great as these numbers are for the show, they bode well for the region too, especially given the overall economic gloom prevalent in the world presently.
In spite of fears that the global credit crunch and economic slowdown could impact the Arabian Gulf region, latest analysis shows there are still more than 250 major civil construction projects in the bidding phase across the region worth nearly $120 billion, says dmg world media.
Analysis carried out by the Big 5 research partner Proleads has identified more than 250 major civil construction projects across the GCC countries that have gone beyond initial planning and are in the bidding phase for consultants, contractors and suppliers. They range in value from $12 million to $13.6 billion with 135 of them in the UAE and 60 in Saudi Arabia.
The top 10 projects in bidding, according to the research, alone are valued at a staggering total of $64.3 billion, headed by the building of new cities in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia. "These statistics underline that there is still a lot of activity planned in civil construction in coming years, which is being reflected in the growth of the show," says Simon Mellor, vice president construction for dmg world media.
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.
Italy is set to make a major impression, with the largest international contingent at the show. The country is bringing in a total of close to 500 firms, who will display their expertise in a diverse range of fields over a total area of close to 9,600 sq m.  Last year’s show featured a total of 450 firms spread over 8,000 sq m of exhibition space. Italian firms will be present in three separate areas of the show. 
At the same time, a specialised pavilion during the show will showcase the latest construction equipment from France. While French products have been popular in the region for some time, it’s the contractors who are now eyeing the region aggressively. Says Pascal Roger from the French Trade Commission: “The ongoing construction boom in the Middle East and a strong demand for French products and services has made French equipment and building material popular for some time in the region, with a sizable presence of French suppliers in the UAE. However, presently, there is a large influx of French contractors coming to the UAE.”
The might of Brazil’s production capacity in the civil construction sector will be on display at the show which will see the country’s fifth participation at the event. Its pavilion is organised by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) in partnership with the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. It brings together a total of 37 companies exhibiting over a 480-sq-m area, engaged in the ceramic cladding, ornamental stones and metal hardware and bathroom accessories sectors.
The Turkish pavilion at the show is organised by the Export Promotion Center of Turkey (Igeme) and Istanbul Minerals and Metals Exporters’ Association (IMMIB). It will feature 50 companies in Hall 7 and 19 companies in Sheikh Maktoum Hall, showcasing a wide range of building materials and products.
This year will see the largest participation from the UK to the show, with participation from over 60 British companies at the UK pavilion in Hall 2. The government organisation UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), which helps UK-based companies succeed in international markets and who are sponsors of the UK pavilion at the show, will be organising the ‘Britain in the Region’ event during the show. It will be held at the Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa in Dubai on November 27, and will bring together a visiting British trade group of more than 150 UK-based delegates, over 100 British companies and organisations already based in the Gulf, UKTI managers from across the whole of the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), other local UAE-based companies and regional trade and investment promotion bodies.
The objective, according to Paul Taylor, head of the Middle East team at UKTI, will be to offer British companies a one-stop shop, for a day only, offering advice, commercial opportunities and information on the whole of the Mena region.

Green focus
The Big 5 goes “green” this year with a host of exciting features: A technical conference with a decidedly environmental focus, a “Green Trail” featuring environmentally-sound products, the close involvement of ecospecifier, an independent green product sourcing and information service, and last but not least, The Big 5 Gaia Awards, showcasing environment-friendly products and services, the first of its kind in the region.
The major highlight of the present show will be highly efficient, energy-saving, green building products and solutions and environmentally-friendly technologies.
Says Mellor: “Designed to raise awareness, The Big 5 Technical Conference, which takes place at the Monarch Hotel in Dubai on November 24, will bring together regional and international experts to present practical project case studies, UAE’s green building compliance requirements and rating schemes.”
Compiled in conjunction with Ecospecifier International, The Big 5 Technical Conference will highlight the latest issues surrounding green building policy and best practices for technology design and product sourcing. A high level panel of speakers has been assembled including Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality, who will be addressing green building standards. Other topics include sustainable communities; district cooling; the design of carbon critical buildings; eco-profiling of buildings; sustainability assessments; and green architecture.
Says David Baggs, technical director and principal consultant of Ecospecifier: “This inaugural Big 5 Technical Conference highlights the practical aspects and experiences of key senior professionals who are personally involved with some of the world’s most significant green projects, and with the development and implementation of policy. The intention of the conference speakers committee has been to get ‘behind the green gloss’ and deliver speakers who can talk about their case study projects from personal experience.”
The conference is tailored for architects, engineers, developers, constructors, builders, building owners, investors, building and facilities managers, government agencies, sustainability consultants, interior designers, landscape architects and planned community designers.
Another green focus at the show is The Big 5 Gaia Awards, showcasing environmentally-friendly products and services. Products and services exhibited at the Big 5 exhibition that reduce the impact on the environment will be eligible for the awards and a judging panel, comprising senior individuals from local developers, contractors and government has been assembled with the support of Ecospecifier International.  The awards will feature over 30 products and services.
Speaking on the importance of the Gaia Awards, Baggs, also a member of the judging panel says: “There are many awards for green products around the world, but it is rare for the awards to mandate third-party verification or certification of environmental and health claims. This is the benefit that Ecospecifier delivers to the Big 5 visitors and buyers. Ecospecifier’s involvement in the awards means that potential buyers can trust that the claims of the products that receive an award have been verified by an independent third-party and are not based on bad science or ‘greenwash’.”
Elaborating on the judging criteria for the awards, Baggs continues: “While the awards are focused on products that minimise ecological and health impacts overall, the major focus of the awards criteria is innovation. The intention of the GAIA Awards is to reward leading-edge products whose claims have been third-party verified, and which deliver synergy into buildings and development by providing multiple benefits that generate potential cost savings in other parts of the buildings or developments.”
Besides Baggs, the Gaia Awards judging panel includes Dr Ashraf Hegazy, sustainable projects manager, Aldar; Gonzalio Seminario, accredited senior architect, Nakheel; Samuel Keehn, environmental and sustainability manager, Energy Management Services International (EMS); and Georgina Legoe, CEO, Sustainability Advisory Group.
The Big 5 organisers are also collaborating with experts from the British Safety Council, who will be conducting health and safety training workshops. Commenting on the pressing need to focus on safety issues in the region, the spokesperson says: “With the Middle East building industry burgeoning and the race to finish large-scale projects on time, the focus on safety in the workplace has never been more paramount.
“As many as 249 accidents took place at construction sites in Dubai alone during 2007, a majority of them involving workers who fell from various heights due to absence of safety belts. In addition, in the wake of the recent fire that claimed the lives of the 11 men housed in a 30-room villa complex, Dubai Municipality announced that more than 400 out of a total of 1,033 labour camps in Dubai face closure for failing to meet minimum health and fire safety standards.
“Delegates at the series of workshops being hosted for the first time at the show will learn about the latest in workplace health and safety from the prestigious British Safety Council (BSC).”
Eight workshops will take place at the Big 5 expo, aimed at senior management as well as supervisors and line manager.
Michael Cox-Hill, BSC general manager, Dubai, said: “The workshop seminars offer an excellent overview for key stakeholders to review their corporate HSE policies, procedures and objectives. These seminars present an opportunity to review various health and safety elements such as risk assessment or COSHH awareness that can then be implemented within businesses.   It is imperative that decision-makers are committed to supporting the region in achieving health and safety best practice to maintain a safer and sustainable society. Actions speaks louder than words and the challenges ahead need immediate address.”
dmg world media Dubai is part of the dmg world media group of companies and is an acknowledged leader in the region’s exhibitions industry since 1999. dmg’s portfolio includes some of the largest exhibitions in the Middle East.

Show timings
November 23 to 26: 11 am to 8 pm
November 27: 11 am to 6 pm.