The Big 5 Saudi at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Convention Centre ... well attended.

The Big 5 Saudi, the largest construction event in the kingdom, presented an opportunity to reshape the modern construction industry and involve new technology towards implementation of 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), according to Engineer Osama bin Abdulaziz Al Zamil, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 11th edition of the Big5 Saudi, which was held at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Convention Centre last month. This edition of the show marked a “record-breaking year” for The Big 5 Saudi with 820 companies from 40 different countries exhibiting, according to the organiser dmg events. The three-day event saw these firms showcasing the latest innovations and technologies in the construction sector to an audience of more than 28,000 industry experts.

Al Zamil pointed out that the national strategy for industry aims to increase the use of modern methods of construction such as prefabricated and insulated concrete systems and to add the use of advanced methods of construction such as 3D printing and robotics.

A key highlight of Day 1 was a strategic deal inked by Deewan Equipment Trading, representing Almix, a leading provider of concrete and asphalt equipment in the Middle East and GCC region, for setting up its 98th asphalt plant in the kingdom.

Deewan sealed the deal with Alomaier Trading and Contracting Company for its sixth plant located in Riyadh. It will be operational in five months and will have a capacity of 160 tonnes per hour.

Among the exhibitors, Roshn, the national real estate developer of Saudi Arabia, presented its state-of-the-art VR Technology that allows users to witness the construction future of Saudi Arabia, as envisioned by the company to develop human-centric communities across the kingdom.

Mena3D, a geospatial and metrology 3D solutions provider in the region, conducted a live demo of their product, Simscan, one of the lightest and most efficient handheld 3D scanners that can scan up to 2.8 million points per second, supported by a 42-laser system.

Aggreko, a world-leading provider of temporary power, temperature control and energy services, showcased a modular solar solution as well as batteries that could support businesses through their ambitious energy transition goals.