The Big 5, the Middle East's leading international construction exhibition, has seen a 15 per cent growth in the actual size of the show this year, said a senior official.
Italy is the single largest international participant at the event. Meanwhile, India plans to have its own pavilion at The Big 5 in 2010.
"More than 3,000 exhibitors are participating in the show this year, including the PMV. We have support from 61 countries around the world and 27 official government groups making this a full-venue show," said Simon Mellor, vice-president of construction at dmg world media Dubai, organiser of The Big 5.
"It has been a tough year for the construction industry, but this event is the first time that the international construction community has come together since the beginning of the downturn and it will provide an excellent platform to share our thoughts on the past 12 months and devise strategies for the future."
Mellor said the event has an additional 25,000 gross metres of space this year.
"More than 500 companies are using those new halls. We will be one of the few shows this year to have shown growth and the fact that this is in the construction industry is quite exciting. I think this makes a statement of how important Dubai and the Middle East are to the global construction sector. Many of the markets around the world – America, Europe and Asia – are in decline this year. I saw a recent report that said over the next three years the Middle East is expected to grow between thee and four per cent. Although that might be seen as a modest growth in recent years, it is still a positive market. So I think people are excited to be here, excited to have the opportunity to show their products and services, and we are delighted to have them," he said.
Mellor admitted that there was a drop in exhibitors from Europe. "Some exhibitors have chosen not to travel from Europe, but that is understandable with their domestic markets in a challenging state. That said, Italy is still the largest single international group while the biggest single entity is the Middle East. Exhibitors and manufacturers from this region are still our largest group spread over 10,000 square metres of exhibition space," said Mellor.
Biggest to date
The Big 5 was inaugurated yesterday by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry. Taking place until November 26, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) will host the biggest Big 5 to date.
Fifteen per cent larger than last year's show, the event will be the first show to take up the entire venue at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), occupying more than 43,000 sqm, and will be the first to utilise fully the recently completed Sheikh Saeed Hall extension. Exhibitors are showcasing everything from asbestos-free cement to waterless urinals that incorporate a TV screen, and fast-build wooden buildings to state-of-the-art sectional water tanks.
The Big 5 Conference will run today and tomorrow to consider the critical challenges of current times.
Environmental issues will be high on the agenda throughout the exhibition. Leading by example, The Big 5 has taken the first steps to going carbon neutral, and visitors will be able to offset their carbon footprint for Dh100 at The Big 5 Green Stand, said the organisers.
Helal Al Marri, CEO of DWTC, said: "Our recent infrastructure expansion that provides over 43,000 sqm of covered exhibition space at our DICEC venue is a critical step that will cater for the increasing demand and positive growth in the region's events sector."
Excellent opportunity
The Big 5 provides an excellent opportunity to attract more construction-based firms, said a RAK Investment Authority (Rakia) official. "Our idea is to introduce ourselves to the new companies participating in the event. We have announced a new industrial zone called Al Ghayl with about 12 million square feet of vacant land that can leased out. The infrastructure is completely ready, especially electricity," said Sana A Hanoun, Head of Leasing (Industrial) at Rakia.
Industrial and construction related firms constitute about 40 per cent of the new companies registering with the free zone, which in 2009 alone has attracted about 1,000 new firms.
"Except for June and July, we have been experiencing good interest from companies. The past three months were exceptionally good," said Hanoun.
According to Hanoun, the construction sector in the region will do well. "Within Ras Al Khaimah there is a growing opportunity for contracting and consulting companies," she added.
According to the US Consul General, Justin Siberell, more than 30 US companies are participating in this year's show. "Already the organiser told us that they are booked for 50 per cent more for the show next year. We're seeing an increase in interest by US companies in this show and the importance it plays in the region-wide building industry," he said.
"Last year, we had 12 companies in the US pavilion. The UAE is now the US's leading partner in bilateral trade through the first half of 2009 in the entire region. It has surpassed countries such as Saudi Arabia. The construction industry is obviously a very important element of that bilateral trade. So we continue to encourage companies that perhaps haven't been exporting previously to look at opportunities here in the GCC and use Dubai as a gateway to reach those markets."
"We are certainly bullish on Dubai specifically and the region more broadly," he told Emirates Business.
China on the rise
Chinese participation has increased by about 30 per cent with more than 500 companies attending the event. China Intop Exhibition, organisers of trade fairs in China, said they alone have brought in about 170 exhibitors this year. Maggie Chen, Manager at Intop Expo, said their contribution to this year's show has grown by more than 40 per cent.
"Overall, our participation has grown by 30 per cent. This year we have experienced renewed interest from Chinese manufacturers and supplier," she said.
The rates at this year's exhibition have also increased.
"Compared to last year the floor space price has increased. We are paying about $504 [Dh1,850] per sqm of floor space at this year's exhibition," said Chen.
Chinese export of building materials to the region is expected to cross the $5 billion mark annually. India increased its presence at The Big 5 with two bodies of Ministry of Commerce supporting exhibitors. Chemicals and Allied Products Exports Promotion Council (CAPEXIL) and Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC), which came to the event for the first time, plan an Indian pavilion next year.
"We have brought six companies with us this time. We plan a bigger presence the next year," said Susmmita Das, Deputy Director of CAPEXIL. While exhibitors were registered with CAPEXIL, 20 were registered with EEPC.
"There are several other exhibitors that are not registered with any organisation, but are exhibiting independently," said Das.
Single largest exhibitor
Italy has more than 350 companies from building material and construction sector, in addition to more than 20 companies from plant and machinery section participating in the exhibition. It is the largest exhibitor at the event this time in terms of the area occupied, spreading more than 6,000 sqm.
"Almost 400 companies from Italy are at The Big 5 this time. But this is less than 100 companies last year because of the global slowdown. Despite that the importance of this event continues to be the same, as we've to make sure that we're reliable to our UAE contractors," said Amedeo Scarpa, Head of Consumer Goods Division, Building Materials and Restauration, Italian Institute of Foreign Trade.
A total of 92 Turkish companies are at the event. This year's participation has been organised by the Export Promotion Centre of Turkey and Istanbul Minerals Metals Exporters' Association.
Asuman Soylu, Director (Implementation and Co-ordination Directorate), Export Promotion Centre of Turkey, said: "We believe the Gulf, located strategically with vast oil reserves, offers attractive business opportunities for our companies in the construction sector."
About 260 German companies are exhibiting their products this year, less than last year. "The companies represent diverse sectors of the construction business," said Heike Schottle, the manager of Global Markets with Association of the German Trade Fair Industry.
"Dubai is of great importance to us considering the number of visitors that it receives," said Olaf Stecken of the German valve manufacturer association, VDMA.
(With inputs from Joseph George, VM Sathish, Shashank Shekhar, Sean Davidson and Sunil Singh)
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