With more than 500 brands on display, The Big 5 Saudi is attracting thousands of visitors to source products from local and international construction manufacturers, said the organisers of the expo being held in Jeddah.

Market leaders from Saudi Arabia including Zamil Industrial, Sabic, Al Omran Group, Al Yamamah Company for Reinforcing Steel Bars, Saudi Industries for PVC Windows (Wintek) and Saudi Industries for Pipes Company are exhibiting along with international manufacturers of construction products.

Regional countries also have a strong presence at the show, represented by industry leaders such as Ace Crane Systems, Harwal Group, RakTherm, Salam Enterprises Company and Laticrete Middle East, they stated.

Qatar is one of the country pavilions present at the event this year, with 29 exhibitors which manufacture a wide range of products for the built environment, from concrete pipes to lighting solutions, construction panels and aluminium fabrications.

Qatar Development Bank (QDB) events officer Saoud Algosaibi dubbed Saudi Arabia as one of the biggest markets for construction not only in the Middle East but in the whole world.

"The Big 5 Saudi’s broad international participation provides its local companies exposure that goes well beyond the Saudi borders, connecting them to the global market," stated Algosaibi.

"With the aim of increasing the Qatari export by developing local manufacturers, the Qatar Development Bank is providing complete support to Qatari companies participating in the exhibition. “This is our third time at The Big 5 Saudi. Previous participations have been very successful in supporting our local construction manufacturers and this is why we keep coming back," he added.

Opportunities offered by the Saudi construction market is attracting several multinational companies as well.

"We want to make a strong presence in the Saudi market and that’s why we’ve been coming to the show for all these years," remarked Sujit Singh, the managing director of Laticrete Middle East & Africa, said.

Vivek Mohile, the general manager (Sales & Marketing) at Laticrete in Saudi Arabia, said the company had started its operations in the kingdom a few years back and was currently working on some of the country's key projects including a hospital in Riyadh and Aramco development works.

"In light of the great potential our company sees in the Saudi market, we are planning to also build a manufacturing unit in the kingdom in future," he added.

Nathan Waugh, the portfolio events director, said: "With a focus on showcasing the latest technologies for the construction industry, The Big 5 Saudi 2017 is an unmissable platform to discover what’s new in the market, network and learn."

The expo is offering 48 CPD (Continued Professional Development) certified workshops on Project Management, Innovation & Technology, and Sustainability in Construction this year.

For the last two days, hundreds of construction professionals have been getting the latest insights from industry experts like Ayman Ahmed El Beda, the project manager and head of architecture at ACE.

Wael Khalil, a ertified project management professional with 20 years’ experience as a senior trainer & business consultant, will discuss PMOs in the context of fulfilling Saudi Vision 2030 expectations later in the day.

"There is an abundance of projects, initiatives and portfolios in the kingdom and PMOs will need to do their fair share to help reap the benefits from these available opportunities," remarked Khalil.

At the Technology and Innovation theatre, industry experts will present four dedicated workshops to visitors attending the event at 4.15pm today (March 29).

The education program will kick off with the “Future of 3D Printing and Design” by Aliasgar Chakkiwala, partner at Future Fountain Technical Works, while Mohammed Bin Saleh, the founder & CEO of Value Innovation Management Consultancy, will explain how new technologies can help SMEs take the lead in the next 10 years.

Hazim M Abdulwahid, the president of Hazim Consultancy, will discuss “Recent innovation in Bridges structural assessments” followed by a lecture from Essam Mohamed Lotffy Farid, Project Manager at Royal Advance LLC, who will take the audience through the “Role of Innovation in Change Management”.

Dr Mohammed S. Al Surf, Chairman of Education and Scientific Committee of the Saudi Green Building Forum, and Mario Seneviratne, Director of Green Technologies FZCO, will present four workshops in the Sustainability theatre of The Big 5 Saudi 2017.

“One presentation will discuss Leed tips that are effective and easy to use, that both Architects and Engineers can implement to generate a significant impact on energy consumption and saving,” remarked Seneviratne.

The Big 5 Saudi 2017 concludes tomorrow (March 30) at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events.-TradeArabia News Service