The largest construction event to be held in Saudi Arabia is set to open this month, providing a window of opportunities to tap the lucrative construction market in the kingdom which is expected to grow at an average annual rate of four per cent between 2024 and 2027.

Saudi Arabia has a strong pipeline of projects worth $2.1 trillion for the next eight years and stands at the threshold of a transformative era marked by momentous growth, says the organiser of Big 5 Construct Saudi quoting Jerry Todd, Head of the National Development Division at the Saudi wealth fund Public Investment Fund (PIF). It is this buoyant market that Big 5 Construct Saudi is aiming to cater to with its impressive showcase.

Returning for its 12th edition to the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Centre from February 26 to 29, Big 5 Construct Saudi is doubling in size and capacity, covering an area of 70,000 sq m, says dmg events.

The top expo has seen a 55 per cent increase in size compared to last year’s edition, drawing participation from more than 40 countries with some 55,000-plus construction professionals expected to attend the event.

The show, which last year attracted around 500 exhibitors, will bring together more than 1,300 exhibitors this year. The event is targeted at providing a showcase for technological advancements and creating networking opportunities to meet the surging demands of the construction market in the kingdom.

Big 5 Construct Saudi provides a showcase for technological advancements and creates networking opportunities.

It is co-located with four specialised events: HVAC R Expo Saudi, FM Expo Saudi, Stone & Surface Saudi Arabia and Windows, Doors & Facades Event Saudi.

Big 5 Construct Saudi showcases more than 20,000 products and services under nine product sectors this year. These include building envelope and construction, building interiors and finishes, building materials and tools, building security and access control, intelligent buildings, offsite and modular construction, kitchen and bathroom, plant machinery and vehicles, and solar and MEP.

Supporting product sectorisation, the four-day event also focuses on four new sectors such as Concrete, Construction Technologies and Steel and Urban Design and Landscape, which together with the existing product sectors cover the entire construction value chain.

This year, the trade exhibition hosts 20 country pavilions such as Germany, China, Greece, Italy, Türkiye, the UAE, the US and Qatar, with Egypt, Jordan, Spain and India joining the event for the first time.

This year’s Big 5 Construct Saudi will showcase products and services from more than 1,300 exhibitors.

The growth of international presence also comes on the back of strong local support for the event as the nation’s leading construction players join the exhibitor line-up. Some of these include Al Zamil Group, a diversified company; Al Bawani, a contracting giant; Samnan Holding, a water solutions provider; and Construction Product Company (CPC), a renowned supplier of finished products.

Hussein and Al-Hassan G Shaker Bros Company, a leading HVAC company, is also exhibiting this year and supporting the event as the Diamond Sponsor.

Commenting on their participation, Khaled Jiz, Marketing Manager, said: “At Hussein and Al-Hassan-Shaker, our mission is to provide the Saudi market with high-quality air-conditioning solutions and establish ourselves as a leader among competitors in our industry.

“This year, we are proud to participate in the Big 5 Construct along with our trusted partner Midea AC. We will be showcasing our latest energy-efficient technologies to be introduced to the Saudi market in 2024. We are looking forward to another successful event.”

Also supporting the HVAC R Expo as the Platinum Sponsor is American multinational HVAC, refrigeration, and fire and security equipment giant Carrier.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us at Carrier to be a part of Big 5 Construct Saudi and the co-located HVAC R Expo to showcase our cutting-edge, innovative, reliable and sustainable solutions. We look forward to engaging with industry leaders, experts and construction professionals once again at this event. We believe in the power of innovation and quality, and our presence at HVAC R Expo is a testament to our commitment to advancing the construction industry,” said Salman Zebian, General Manager, Carrier Saudi Arabia.

This year’s Big 5 Construct Saudi will showcase products and services from more than 1,300 exhibitors.

Some of the new-to-show brands exhibiting this year are British multinational manufacturer of construction equipment JCB; UAE-based SKM Air Conditioning; US-headquartered Stanley & Black Decker, a manufacturer of industrial tools and hardware; Kingspan, a premier manufacturer of insulation solutions for building envelope; Knest, an aluminium formwork company from India; and Sphinx Glass, a glass, ceramics and concrete manufacturing company in Egypt, said the organisers.

Big 5 Construct Saudi will offer industry networking opportunities and provide attendees the chance to make the most of the 60-plus free-to-attend CPD (Continuous Professional Development) certified Big 5 Talks.  The talks programme provides professionals with a chance to collect CPD points, an industry-wide requirement to build on practical knowledge applied to the construction profession.

The talks provide insightful takeaways under 13 streams. These include concrete, sustainability, technology innovations and digital transformation in construction, contracting strategies, risk management and legal, decarbonisation, HVAC R, architecture and design, facilities management, giga project updates, intelligent buildings, project management and leadership.