AS THE Middle East region’s building boom continues, the construction industry is turning to audiovisual solutions for “smart” features that enhance building sustainability and employee productivity, an industry expert said.

 Strong government spending, especially in the GCC, is making 2013 a key year for new project tenders, especially for the construction of schools, hospitals and leisure projects, according to Fitch Ratings, said David Lim, the project director of InfoComm MEA exhibition.

He continued: “In recent years, the construction of green or sustainable buildings has escalated around the world, enhancing design and construction costs, asset value, operating costs, workplace health and productivity, risk mitigation, according to a report from the World Green Building Council.”

Driving the buildings’ internal sustainability and advanced multimedia are audiovisual systems, he said.

“The building industry in the Middle East and Africa are no longer content with shell-only exteriors – they demand fully-integrated ‘smart’ audiovisual systems to add style, efficiency, and value,” he said.

“Enterprises of all sizes attending the upcoming InfoComm MEA 2013 can find audiovisual systems that best meet their needs in maximising building sustainability and employee productivity. These solutions include audiovisual systems that monitor light and temperature, multimedia systems that enable rich presentations, and videowalls that communicate with people who live, work and shop in buildings,” he added.

InfoCommMEA 2013 is co-located at Gitex Technology Week which will be held this month (October 20 to 24) at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, UAE.

Among the audiovisual industry’s leading firms present at the event will be the US-based firm Crestron, which provides control and automation systems for corporate headquarters and offices, major landmarks,homes, schools, and hospitals.

Robin van Meeuwen, the vice-president of Crestron International, said: “The Middle East is a very strategic marketplace, as many customers are early adopters who recognise the importance and value of using technology in their business, home, or for their students.”

“We’ve worked with a wide range of clients around the world, and we’re eager to enable clients in the Middle East and Africa to meet and exceed global standards in every audiovisual field,” he added.

Also attending the event will be  Prysm, a US audiovisual firm that invented laser phosphor display (LPD) technology, which enables high-definition, energy-saving, and scalable videowalls.

Dana Corey, vice-president of sales and technical operations at Prysm, said the company would showcase its latest visual developments including its new TD2 tile, which will be launched on the Middle East market at the show.