The Big 5 show in Dubai this month will feature a Portuguese pavilion for the first time.

A total of 14 Portuguese companies in the construction and contracting sector will be taking part in the event, strongly supported by the Dubai-based Portuguese Trade Centre.

"Our task is to promote trade - to liaise with Portuguese manufacturing and services companies and potential buyers," says Carlos Carvalho Costa, the director of the Portuguese Trade Centre.

"We also identify business opportunities and help in establishing joint ventures. We encourage Portuguese companies to bring their products to the region. We also help in promoting tourism for Portugal where the tourism industry is very strong and accounts for eight per cent of the GDP."

The trade centre is part of icep Portugal jointly operated by the country's ministries of finance and economy. Icep Portugal has over 50 offices around the world.

Its office in Dubai was established recently and covers the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Prior to setting up the Dubai office, it was operating from its embassy in Saudi Arabia, says Costa.

Portuguese companies taking part in the Big 5 will represent various sectors including ceramic tiles (domestic and industrial); cork flooring (parquet tiles); low relaxation steel wire/strand for pre-stressing; marble, granite and limestone; interior doors and furniture; and hardware for construction (door locks and latches, door knockers, door hinges and knobs - domestic and industrial).

Of the 14 companies, five are into manufacturing and processing granite and marble and have their own quarries. Marble and granite account for 60 per cent of Portugal's exports to Saudi Arabia, says Costa.

Highlighting the choice that Portuguese companies can offer architects and designers in this region, Costa says that these companies can provide integrated solutions for building material needs with a good quality/price ratio.

He says ornamental stones, granite, limestone and similar stones - explored throughout the country - complement the quality and variety of the marbles.

Technological advances in the later 1980s and earlier 90s in the ceramics sector combined with the availability of different products with a wide range of characteristics, modern design and integrated offers resulting from the merging of several economic groups, make it possible for the Portuguese industry to provide a suitable answer to the most stringent demands of the world market, he says.

Among other high-quality products are hand-painted tiles and panels and wood products for diverse use from parquet and lamparquet to ceilings, linings, doors and windows besides pre-fabricated houses and wood used for the building industry.

Portugal is also the world's top producer of cork and leader in the innovation and in the technological development of this product. Over 50 per cent of the world's cork production comes from Portugal.

"The unique characteristics of cork make it suitable for flooring, lining of walls and ceilings; the comfort, the acoustic and heat insulation thus provided and the decorative possibilities are a significant add-on to the use of such a material," says Costa.

Due to its insulation capabilities, cork is highly recommended to fill walls (granulates) and in the lining of ceilings and walls. Combined with rubber (rubbercork), it is used in non-skidding and heavy-duty floors and also in other applications with specific technical demands such as engine joints and aerospace industry.

The Portuguese industry is also in a position to offer a wide range of products for house and hotel fittings, says Costa.

Companies participating in the show are: Aleluia, Amorim Isolamentos/Corticeira Amorim; Fapricela; Incoveca Granitos; Manufacturas Santos; Manuel Joaquim Orvalho; Marfilpe; MVC - Marmores de Alcobaca; PA Stones; Porteme; Real Granito; Recer; Topcer and Tupai.