More than 300 exhibitors from over 30 countries exhibited at the inaugural Big 5 Heavy in Dubai, UAE, offering a unique showcase of machinery and innovation for the construction industry. The event also provided construction professionals three days of business, networking, and education.

The Big 5 Heavy  ran from March 26-28 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. It was opened by Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the board of executive directors of Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority.

Products at The Big 5 Heavy were showcased across four sectors: Middle East Concrete, PMV Live, Foundations & Geotechnical, and Mining & Quarrying.

Exclusive Cat dealer Al Bahar launched two new machines: the Next Generation Cat 320 Excavator and Cat 962L Wheel Loader, under the theme, ‘New Range. New Rules’.

At its stand, NFT promoted its MCH hydraulic tower crane and the new ‘Hup’ technology – a 100 per cent digital and self-erecting crane development ideal for narrow and compact building areas. A virtual-reality feature transported visitors up to a first-class seat above its state-of-the-art 300,000-sq-m yard.

Also on display was the first UAE-manufactured tower crane by Bothani ENG. The machine will be manufactured by the end of June in a joint venture between Bothani and ENG cranes.

Deewan Equipment promoted its advanced concrete printing technology at the event and presented portraits of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

With a ‘Made in Germany’ pavilion of over 1,000 sq m on the floor, European interest in the region was prominent. Other European companies that exhibited came from the UK, Italy, Spain, France and elsewhere in the EU.

Meanwhile, the American Concrete Institute updated visitors on the latest concrete codes and standards in a series of workshops across two days.

Other exhibitors included Liebherr and Cifa that showcased concrete pumps; Caltex, which exhibited its premium range of lubricants for heavy machinery; MB Crusher with its new-generation systems for crushing and recycling; and Magna Tyres showcasing the MA04 model designed specifically for 100-tonne mining dump trucks.

Visitors also had the opportunity to attend over 40 free workshops curated by trusted industry experts such as Omar Essam Barakat from The Chartered Institute of Building. The workshops covered project management, mining and quarrying and foundation and geotechnical sessions, and were CPD (Continued Professional Development) certified.

The Big 5 Heavy is organised by dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa, and is a part of  The Big 5 portfolio.

The event was supported by Caltex (Official Lubricants Sponsor), Deep Foundations Institute (Geotech Knowledge Partner), Total Foundation Solutions (Geotechnical Sponsor), Deewan (Concrete Equipment Sponsor), Hard Precast (Precast Sponsor), and Stevin Rock (Mining & Quarrying Sponsor).