The construction materials industry has ranked second among Saudi Arabia's non-oil exporting sectors for the first half, with the total exports surging to over SR10 billion ($2.7 billion),  according to a report by Saudi Export Development Authority.

The report comes ahead of Saudi Build 2020, a premier trade exhibition for building materials, which kicks off on October 5 and runs for the next three days.

Last year's event was attended by more than 23,000 people, and was a huge success. A total of 520 major international and local brands from 34 countries took part, said the organisers.

Saudi Build 2020 will be held concurrently along with Saudi Stone Tech, Saudi Build PMV Series, Interior Design and Saudi Build Technology & Automation Building at Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, it added.

Mohammed Al Alsheikh, head of marketing & corporate communications at REC, attributed the growth of the construction market in the kingdom and the Arab region to the increased spending on infrastructure projects.

“The building materials sector is one of the main pillars of the construction industry in the region,” stated Al Alsheikh.

He pointed out that this reflected the economic movement of the sector, and therefore, the level of the volume of investment in the sector serves as an indicator of the economic and real estate growth.

On the upcoming event, Al Alsheikh said Saudi Build 2020 is expected to be the largest international exhibition for building and construction technology and materials. It will serve as an important gateway for investors to enter the Saudi market.

"REC has successfully managed since 1982, to bring together thousands of local, regional and international companies, investors, businessmen, real estate developers, professionals, engineers, contractors, service companies, construction equipment suppliers, consultants, contractors, purchasing managers, technical specialists, merchants, and distributors, all on a single platform - the Saudi Build exhibition," remarked Al Alsheikh.

"The event has become an icon for the Saudi construction and infrastructure sector, displaying innovative infrastructure capabilities, inspiring advancements in the building arena and featuring state-of-the-art technologies in the field of materials science," he added.-TradeArabia News Service