Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition (SBIE) featured more than 400 brand names on nearly 200 stands from 17 countries and has been voted a success both by visitors and exhibitors, according to the organiser.

The 13th in the series of annual construction events was organised by ACE (Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions) at the Jeddah International Exhibition Centre from April 25 to 29.
“SBIE 2004, which was 20 per cent bigger both representation and participation-wise as compared to last year,' said a spokesman for ACE.
The long list of participants arrived from Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK alongside a large contingent of leading Saudi companies. The show also witnessed some first-time participants in SBIE from Belgium and China.
“This time, care had been taken to strike a balance between local, regional and international exhibitors,' said the spokesperson.
A record number of visitors – 11,173 in all from the kingdom and the neighbouring Gulf states – arrived over the five-day period, to see the latest in construction materials and services, equipment, finishing materials, interiors and furniture, electrical products, doors and windows, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, ceramics, sanitary ware, and shop fitting.
The visitors included engineers, architects, consultants, specifiers and designers, agents and distributors, company/bank directors, hotel managers, school/hospital administrators, as well as manufacturers and businessmen at large, says the spokesman.
Prince Mish’al bin Majed bin Abdul Aziz, governor of Jeddah, who inaugurated the exhibition, expressed satisfaction and said: “Exhibits are well laid out and impressive.”
A number of exhibitors clinched large orders during the expo and were pleased by the manner in which it was organised. Alf Electric Company – a leading Riyadh-based specialist in wiring accessories – clinched a major deal with a Saudi contractor.
Said Salem Wannous, general manager, Alf Electric Company: “We signed a deal with a Saudi contractor to supply wiring accessories worth $8 million for a 1,500 residential villa project in Africa, on the third day of the show.”
Alain Matos, export manager with the France-based contractor Krings International, said: “My company did not bag any direct deals during the show, but we got enquiries from two leading groups in the Kingdom, namely Saudi Oger and Bin Ladin group. The project on offer is to conduct a feasibility study for a major sewage project in Jeddah, and we look forward to submitting our bids. We have made some very good contacts, which we hope will bear fruits in future.”
There were others who displayed their keenness in striking technology transfer deals with the kingdom. The Belgian ambassador to the kingdom, Rudi Schellinck, said: “Belgium is very keen to transfer technology to Saudi Arabia. This is partly because the country’s trade with the kingdom needs to be expanded. One way of doing this is to transfer technology so that bilateral trade gets a boost.”
Stephano Smars, economic and commercial Attaché, Embassy of Belgium, commented: “SBIE is the right venue for such a goal. I am representing the group for the Walloon Region of Belgium and found a very good response in terms of quality visitors. As such I can say that there is a boom in the construction industry by the number of demands we regularly get at the embassy or even here on the stand.”
Other exhibitors expressed their confidence in trade shows like SBIE, which, according to them, provide the required springboard for old as well as new participants.
“The enormous demand for granite in the Saudi market prompted us to participate in the exhibition. As a first experience to my company, the response we received is encouraging. I got what I expected from the show,” said Rudy Altafini, export manager of Madaschi Granite Tiles, Italy.
Exhibitors also signed authorised distributorship and agent deals, and additional contracts will be signed in the coming months, said the spokesman.
Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition was hailed as an overall success by most of the exhibitors, trade as well as professional visitors.
Exhibitors expressed mixed reactions about the boom, in the construction sector. “The construction industry in Saudi Arabia is on the rise, I would consider it a mini-boom and not a boom,” said Mongkol Somkanae, director of the Thai Trade Center, Jeddah.
Far exceeding all expectations, the fair has once again reinforced its status as a major platform for building and interiors. Whether manufacturer or contractor, whether new to the market or simply wishing to transfer technology, SBIE again provided the ideal showcase for exhibitors and visitors.
With commitment from many of the 2004 participants to return, and group organisers wishing to increase their participation, Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition 2005, with its new dates of April 17 to 21, is promising to be even better.