The Middle East Mineral Insulation Manufacturers Association (Memima) was at the Big 5 in a bid to highlight the importance of thermal, acoustic and fire safety insulation in Middle East’s building sector.

“About 50 per cent of generated energy in the GCC countries goes waste and can be saved through efficient insulation in homes,” said Robert Schild for France’s St Gobain Isover.
Speaking at one of the conferences held during the show, he said that recent incidents showed to the need for efficient insulation. “Recently, a 44-storey tower in Qatar caught fire, besides this there have been several similar incidents at a high-rise building and mall in Dubai. All these could have been avoided through use of proper insulation,” he said.
At the event, which attracted construction consultants, architects, developers and building contractors, he also elaborated on the “passive house” – a concept that involves thermally insulating the entire house, which could offer significant savings in energy and costs.
Another benefit of passive protection is the drastic reduction in ambient noise levels, he added.
Memima is a newly created association with eight member companies from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India, Jordan and the UAE. The companies include Kuwait Insulating Material Manufacturing Company (Kimmco), Rockwool India, Alghanim Insulation Group, Fujeirah Rockwool, Medina Rockwool, Saudi Rockwool, Jordan Rockwool and Arabian Fibreglass Insulation Company (Afico).