Saudi Arabia's major international show for the building and interiors industry - Saudi Building & Interiors Exhibition   - will showcase an extensive range of products and services for buildings and interiors when it opens in Jeddah next April.

Organised by Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions, under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, this five-day event (April 25-29) will be held at the Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Commenting on the construction industry in Saudi Arabia, a spokesman for Al Harithy Company says;'Recent government measures to diversify and reform the Saudi economy are giving a boost to privatisation and inward investments. Billions of dollars that have been invested by Saudis abroad in the past, are now being invested in the Kingdom.

'The estimated total capital invested in the Saudi real estate sector in 2001 amounted to $240 billion, showing  an increase over the previous year. The government's decision to allow foreign investors to own real estate is expected to further boost this thriving sector.

To cater effectively to this ever-expanding industry, the Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition has been made an annual event from the earlier biennial show and has been broadened to cover the parallel sector of interior design, he says.

'To satisfy the needs of this dynamic industry, holding interiors alongside building has proved to be extremely effective. This fruitful combination provides the ideal medium to attract not only engineers, architects, consultants, specifiers and designers, but a wider professional audience including the hotel managers, school/hospital admini-strators, company/bank directors, as well as manufacturers and businessmen at large,' the spokesman says.

Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition 2004 will have a stronger international presence as it is an ideal platform, besides domestic opportunities, to access the vast future potential of Iraq.
'Despite difficulties in the region, Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition 2003 attracted a large number of local as well as international exhibitors. Participants were happy at the levels of business conducted, which were extremely high. Exhibitors and visitors alike hailed the show as an outstanding success,' claims the spokesman.

A high profile symposium will be held parallel to the show, together with free consultation to visitors by the industry experts and judging by the tremendous response from exhibitors and enquiries from industry professionals, early indications are that Saudi Building & Interiors Exhibition 2004 will be even more vibrant and rewarding, he says.