Soaring demand across the Middle East continues to strengthen the importance of the Big 5 show to the regional construction industry, and this year’s show at Dubai International Exhibition Centre next month (November 25 to 29) will be the largest-ever showcase of the latest products and services and will feature a total of 2,700 exhibitors from 56 countries up from last year’s figure of 2,500.

This unique event has been annually combining seven major exhibitions under one roof – building and construction, air-conditioning and refrigeration, water technology and the environment, cleaning and maintenance, glass and metal, bathrooms and ceramics and marble and stone.
This year too the Big 5 is expected to cross all previous records for the number of visitors that are expected to attend the show.
 “A huge PR campaign through direct mailers, advertisements and other media is sure to bring in the right mix of visitors to the show this year,” says Bernard Walsh, managing director of dmg world media Dubai, organiser of the Big 5.
“When it comes to actual growth in the number of exhibitors to the show,” he says, “although we are restrained by the limited amount of space at the Dubai International Convention Centre, we have 300 to 400 companies waiting to join in when we move to the new exhibition grounds in Jebel Ali.”
The show, which has been a sell-out for a long time now,  is undisputedly the most important construction event in the region and aims to address the increasing demand for a meeting place for all those involved in the vibrant construction market.
Recognising the need for a dedicated exhibition for plant, construction vehicles, machinery and equipment, dmg world media Dubai has joined hands with Streamline Marketing Group to create the Big 5 PMV, which will be held concurrently with the Big 5 show at the at Airport Expo Dubai.
A total of 41,058 key buyers and decision-makers from the public and private sectors attended the 2006 Big 5 show, including architects, engineers, contractors and other specifiers.
Last year’s show saw deals worth millions of dirhams signed, agents appointed, new distributorships established and solid business leads generated that will be translated into valuable orders in the coming days, weeks and months.
Among the major deals that were announced at the show was a contract worth Dh20 million ($5.45 million) under which Somec Sharaf Middle East was to install aluminium and glass window glazing for the 44-storey Dubai Jewel Tower in Dubai’s Technology, E-Commerce and Media Freezone.
Other Big 5 deals last year were clinched by Sigma, which received five orders worth a total of Dh1 million for its linkable lighting towers (two from Saudi Arabia and three from the UAE), Waterjet Corporation, a water-cutting machines manufacturer which won a $2 million order and first-time exhibitor Mil-tek, which recorded an order worth $22,000 with many more solid leads.
Turkish company Yorukoglu Machine Industry, part of the 66-company-strong Turkish presence at last year’s show, signed four deals, including one from Iraq, for block-making machines and a batching plant worth $640,000, and Al Khaleej Ceramics Company confirmed an order for 50,000 sq m of antique-finished porcelain glazed tiles.
 One of the most commercially successful trade fairs in Dubai, the Big 5 features national pavilions from all the major exporting of the world, alongside important local developers, contractors, importers, manufacturers and distributors. This year will see Pakistan making its debut as a national pavilion.
“Germany and Italy will feature the largest pavilions at the show. While the German arena will cover more physical space, Italy has more companies. Standing alongside are all the major nations of the world and a large local presence, which is going to make this show diverse in its own way,” says Walsh.
Germany’s representation at the Big 5 has consistently grown from year to year and this year, the official German pavilion will cover over 6,500 sq m, making it the largest ever seen at any construction event anywhere in the world. More than 300 German companies will present their high-quality products and services.
The German Pavilion at this year’s Big 5 will give the many thousands of professional trade visitors the opportunity to discover a wide range of the latest products and technologies available from leading German companies. 
The importance of the Big 5 to the global construction industry, often faced with limited business potential in their traditional markets, has grown as construction activity of all types, from commercial property to highly ambitious residential developments and essential infrastructure expands at a rate that far exceeds any other global market.
“The key to the Big 5’s success is its effectiveness in maximising business opportunities – this, combined with the fact that it brings together all of the key sectors within one show, makes it a complete one-stop event for the region’s key decision-makers and industry professionals,” says Walsh.
The exhibition will also feature a broad programme of free industry seminars.
Liquid Plastics will present two seminars on roofing entitled: “Cold Fusion Bonding, Utilising Zero Heat, Zero Flame Technology and Green Roofs-Utilising Urban Space-Bringing Roofs to Life.
Ritz Pumpenfabrik will present “MS-T Modular Shaft Technolgy-designed to Save Costs.” Arcelor Mittal Construction will speak on Arval Floor Systems and Global Floor, and Architectural Innovation on the facades with Arval PMA.
UAE-based Al Mutaiwie will speak on Reducing the UAE’s environmental footprint.
Other seminars will include:
• “Effective and Cost-saving Construction Techniques for Waterproofing” by Aquafin International;
• Structural Fire Protection in Buildings” by International Paints;
• “New Innovations in Tensile Membrane  Structures,” by Taiyo Middle East;
• “Introduction to OHSAS 18001: 2007” by the British Business Group; 
• “Building with Precast Concrete — Examples from Middle East” by Unitechnik Cieplik & Poppek;
• “The Case for Underfloor Air-conditioning in High Rise Buildings” by EKA Group;
• “Concrete-From Grey to Green” by Ecosmart;
• “Space Saving Technologies in Construction/ Augmentation of Waste Water Treatment Plants” by Global Engineering Systems; and
• “Customised Profile Solution-made from Steel” by Hoesch Schwerter Profile.
“We’re looking forward to highly successful shows this year. Our overriding objective has always been to provide the best-ever platform for the regional industry – the continued expansion of The Big 5 and the creation of the Big 5 PMV clearly demonstrates our commitment to look at additions and enhancements that will achieve this,” concludes Walsh.
dmg world media Dubai, part of the dmg world media group of companies, has a wealth of experience in organising exhibitions to the very highest international standards. Index, the Big 5, The Office Exhibition and The Hotel Show are all leaders in their respective market sectors.
One of the largest exhibition and publishing companies in the world, the dmg world media group of companies produces more than 300 market-leading trade exhibitions, consumer shows and fairs each year.