Living room with Hunter Douglas’ Silhouette shadings

Some 3,000 exhibitors were on hand to showcase a diverse range of products and technologies at the Big 5 International Building & Construction Show in Dubai, the Middle East’s largest event of its kind.
The exhibitors were eyeing a share of the business from nearly $3 trillion worth of construction projects in the Gulf states.

Expectations were that the Big 5 would attract around 85,000 visitors, six per cent more than at the previous edition. Decision-makers among the visitors were scrutinising the products on display to determine which among them would best suit projects they are involved with.

Running concurrently with the Big 5 were Middle East Concrete 2015 and PMV Live 2015.

Middle East Concrete is the only event dedicated to concrete in the region, while PMV Live covers all mechanical vehicles involved in construction.

A report titled “GCC Construction Industry – Trends and Challenges for 2015” says the value of contract awards this year in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) could reach over $194 billion. That’s $2 billion down on last year, but lower oil prices will mean building materials and transport costs will fall as well, and that will filter down to contract values.

There was still much enthusiasm among exhibitors at the event.

Emerson Climate Technologies, a business segment of Emerson, showcased AC and refrigeration solutions in partnership with Fawaz Refrigeration & Air Conditioning.

Fawaz Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, a segment of Fawaz Group, is a multinational business enterprise offering project engineering, contracting, manufacturing and trading in electro-mechanical products and systems.

Emerson Climate Technologies featured new AC and refrigeration products and solutions for residential and commercial applications.

Ideal Standard, one of the leading providers of innovative total bathroom solutions operating across Europe, Middle East and Africa, showed off its latest bathroom product portfolio.

Hunter Douglas, a Dutch architectural products manufacturer, presented its innovative ceiling and façade panels, window coverings and sun control systems. The global ceiling manufacturer has worked on prominent rail stations including the Dubai Metro and the Delft Railway Station in The Netherlands.

“While the GCC countries are constructing a large number of rail projects, in order for them to succeed in growing strong ridership numbers, they need to create uncluttered, well-lit stations where travellers feel comfortable,” remarked Frans van de Laak, the general manager, Hunter Douglas Middle East.

Hormann Middle East, a leading industrial, commercial and residential door manufacturer, highlighted two of its new advanced products for the industrial sector.

The company unveiled the ALR 67 Thermo and SPU F 42 Plus sectional doors at the event.

Vekon, an Istanbul-based prefabricated building company, made a pitch for its low-cost housing products.

The company, which currently operates in over 75 countries, makes prefabricated buildings for construction sites as well as modular office and living spaces. Its products include worker accommodation, site offices and warehouses for the construction industry.

UAE firm Gulf Extrusions (Gulfex), a leading manufacturer of extruded aluminium products, launched a series of construction solutions during its participation.

It introduced ‘Safaa’, a new range of specialty powder coating which it said was specifically developed for the unique architectural demands of the region. It offers ample design and colour choices to architects, contractors, engineers, and property owners, said a statement from Gulfex.

The company unveiled a new software for the optimisation of estimated time of completion and structural calculation. The new solution will help in reducing production and estimation time by 50 per cent as well as preparing structural and u-value calculations, it said.

Additionally, it also showcased solutions that meet and even exceed performance criteria for fire safety and acoustics in building envelopes.