With almost 40 UK firms exhibiting with specialist exhibition organisers Build Ex and WebShow International (WSI), British building products manufacturers have a bigger-than-ever presence at the Big 5 show 2001.

"Last year, the Big 5 was the largest building and construction exhibition ever held in Dubai and this year it is even bigger, filling a total of seven halls in the Dubai World Trade Centre, with the majority of Hall 6 taken up by Build Ex-WSI," says a WSI spokesman.

Commenting on the importance of the show for British exhibitors, he says: "With oil prices ever increasing in the Middle East, the long-term outlook for construction projects is very good. Approximately 60 per cent of the Gulf's population is under 25 leading to massive housing needs, with annual requirements of several hundred thousand new houses for the next 10 years. Construction in the public sector has been fuelled by the commissioning of hospitals, fire stations, educational facilities and mosques.

"Increases in business and tourism has resulted in many major construction projects such as shopping centres, resorts and hotels, and other leisure and commercial developments which has led to a dramatic rise in construction activity in the private sector.

"To capitalise on the vast potential of this market, Build Ex-WSI is bringing some of the biggest names in the UK construction industry to the Big 5, which presents an excellent opportunity for exporters to meet face to face with the decision-makers of building projects in the public and private sector all over the Middle East.

"Supported by Trade Partners and in conjunction with The Building Centre, Build Ex-WSI has a total of 38 building products manufacturers exhibiting in the British contingent, an increase of over 100 per cent on last year. This huge increase demonstrates the growing interest from British exporters in the Middle Eastern market and, with many of the companies exhibiting with WSI for the second time, it also shows how vital trade shows are to businesses looking to break into foreign markets."

A vast range of products and services will be on display at the show.

For plumbing, piping technology and drainage, there will be Allpex (copper and brass tube fittings), ACO International (surface drainage systems), Fernco International (flexible pipe couplings), Marley Plumbing (hot and cold plumbing systems) and the Fusion Group (electrofusion pipe-jointing technology).

Bathroom and ceramic products will be on show from Airbath International (spas and acrylic baths), G & J Sales (shower cubicles and screens), The Bright Ideas Company (ceramic tiles and accessories), Sachelle Studios (bathroom design), Kos UK (sanitary ware) and R&D Marketing (heated mirrors and undertile heating products).

The HVAC sector will be catered to by Halma Materials Technology (dehumidification equipment), General Domestic Appliances (industrial and domestic ventilation), Silavent, Stadium Ventilation, Woods Air Movement and GDA Applied Energy (ventilation systems) and Pegler (plumbing and heating),

In the field of water technology, there will be JP Ceramics (ceramic water filters) and Hughes Pumps (water jetting equipment).

For ceilings, flooring and partitions, there will be GSP Ceilings (suspended ceilings and partitions), Kingspan Access Flooring (raised access floors), Alpha Pur (flooring materials) and Flowcrete (polyurethane flooring and car parks)

For access control there will be Asset International (road barriers), Barwood Products (disabled equipment and grab rails), Berry Systems, a division of Hill & Smith (barriers) and Broughton Controls (access control systems).

Door technology will be displayed by Hart Door Systems (industrial doors), RS Stokvis & Sons (industrial doors and heat management products) and Stylwood (fire-rated doors), Hurst Plastics (PVC and composite door panels), Shore Manufacturing (kitchen unit doors).

Architectural hardware and security systems experts will include Yale Security Products (locks and architectural hardware), Universal Fittings (door and window hardware), Consort Architectural (architectural hardware and security systems) and Morse Controls (window controls).

Protective paints and coatings will be displayed by Leigh's Paints (passive fire protection) and Liquid Plastics (roofing systems).

The other exhibitors are BTS (roof blind systems), Chamberlain International (anti-slip grips and silicones), Richard Lees Steel Decking (steel decking), Gap Sails and Structures (tensile fabric structures), Monodraught Systems (Sun pipe systems), Stag (expansion joint systems and sealants), Unilam (resin and machinery), Rollsec (sheet metal machinery) and Winther Browne (decorative wood mouldings and carvings).

The British Standards Institution will also have its own dedicated stand.

"Build Ex-WSI offers various services to provide complete support to its exhibitors before, during and after each show. Pre-show support includes stand design, fabrication, transportation and construction, overseas market information and a local ambassador's reception," the spokesman says.

This year, the ambassador's reception is being overseen by Michael Rose, CBE, chairman of The Building Centre. "The reception prior to the Big 5 provides exhibitors with the opportunity to meet with a number of representatives from the UAE building and construction companies who will be visiting the exhibition," he says. "Commercial staff at the embassy will also attend the reception. They can provide vital information to exhibitors on other local companies, economy and projects."

During the show Build Ex-WSI exhibitors have exclusive access to the hub stand, which was an unrivalled success at the Big 5 show last year. "Situated at the heart of the Build Ex-WSI group, the hub stand provides telephone, fax and Internet links as well as extensive lounge and hospitality services. As part of the Build Ex-WSI link with Trade Partners UK, local embassy representatives are also available to exhibitors at each show and will visit the hub stand to help promote UK exports," the spokesman says.

The Build Ex-WSI website now contains a virtual exhibition, an innovative facility which benefits not only Build Ex-WSI exhibitors, but all companies interested in the import of British building products.

"The Big 5 will be the first show to be created as a virtual exhibition on the Build Ex-WSI website and it will contain brief details on all British companies in the Build Ex-WSI group. Each company in the virtual exhibition will have a link from the website to its own, as well as an enquiry form which can be e-mailed direct to the company," the spokesman says.

"Also, there is a link directly from the home page of the Big 5 organiser's website to the Build Ex-WSI virtual exhibition, making it even easier for visitors to the show to access the Build Ex-WSI website and the virtual exhibition. Once there, the visitors can learn more about the companies exhibiting that are relevant to them, and even contact them to arrange meetings during the show, helping them utilise what restricted time they have available as productively as possible. The website also provides companies who are unable to attend the exhibition, but want to enquire about British building products, with vital information and contact details on British building products manufacturers."

He continues: "For foreign companies, finding the right building products manufacturer which is keen to export into their country can be a lengthy and difficult task. The virtual exhibition provides importers with quick reference of British building products manufacturers, what products they offer and what countries they are interested in exporting to. As each virtual exhibition is created, Build Ex-WSI will generate one dedicated list of all British building products manufacturers that have exhibited with them, offering foreign companies a definitive guide to UK building products exporters."