IT WAS “house full” at the Big 5, the Middle East’s largest construction exhibition in Dubai, with firms from developed and developing states seeking to capture a slice of the huge construction and infrastructure market in the region and do business with other participants for projects worldwide.

More than 2,500 exhibitors from 65 countries and over 60,000 construction industry professionals were busy doing their business rounds.

New technologies and innovations were on view as the construction sector grows more sophisticated and competition becomes stiffer. The exhibition was preceded by a slew of high-ticket contracts in the host country itself with other states in the region also signing or planning mega deals. According to Andy White, group event director, Big 5, some $15.5 billion in construction contracts were awarded in the UAE in H1 2013, a 66 per cent jump on the second half of 2012. Regionally, the $67 billion contracts awarded in H1 2013 surpassed by 53 per cent the H2 2012 level.

International companies constituted 70 per cent of exhibitor bookings but some 483 firms participated from the UAE itself, up 11 per cent from the previous year. Big 5 sold all of its space and was 12 per cent larger than the previous edition, said White. New features included the Building Interiors Zone. The Dubai Municipality acquainted architects, contractors, developers and suppliers at a seminar on the updated Green Building Codes. There were also two new workshops on Project Management and Arbitration in Construction along with over 100 free-to-attend seminars. Among the attractions were Middle East Concrete and PMV Live 2013, an interactive event for the plant, machinery and vehicle industries. Specific sectors included HVAC, Coatings, Adhesives and Sealants, Kitchens and Bathrooms, Windows and Doors, Steel, Marble, Slate and Ceramics, Water Technology and General Construction.

White said the event accorded priority, as usual, to sharing knowledge through offerings that provided the latest information on trends and regulations to everyone involved in the construction chain from design through
to build.

USEFUL PRODUCTS

Dubai Investments, the largest investment company listed on the Dubai Financial Market, had its subsidiaries Emirates Building Systems (EBS), International Rubber Company (IRC) and Techno Rubber Company (TRC) showcasing their products.

EBS displayed its hot rolled and pre-engineered building structures, alongside its established and diversified portfolio of structures in the residential, commercial and industrial arenas including solutions for the oil and gas and power and desalination sectors.

IRC exhibited its product range from rubber profiles to water proofing membranes, structural glazing tapes, pipe seals and silicone sealants. TRC showcased its high-quality rubber products moulded, calendared and extruded.

UK-based company Thrislington used this year’s Big 5 to showcase its expanding activities across the Middle East after completing a number of high-profile projects in Europe and the US. Most recently the company has been involved with installing cubicles in the newly created Freedom Tower – built in the area devastated by the 9-11 attacks.

Mapei, a global leader in the production of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for the construction sector, unveiled a technological innovation that allows the complete recycling of the returned concrete from the job site to the batching plant within minutes. Another innovation it presented was shrinkage compensated thixotropic mortar for cortical restoration of concrete. A single layer of mortar at a variable thickness between 2 and 30 mm is sufficient for most restoration works, it says.

French specialist in textile architecture Esmery Caron displayed its expertise in stretched canvasses. The company has also developed its Architex range tailored to specific uses: Texispan to cover walkways, car parks and playgrounds; Ten Linea for sporting arenas, Omrage for outdoor recreational facilities, and Texiwood Ecolodge, which offers solutions for the hotel industry, camping sites and holiday villages.