This year’s edition of The Big 5 exhibition will play a crucial role in highlighting the economic recovery in a post-Covid-19 world, experts said ahead of the opening of the event.

The exhibition, which is the only live in-person event connecting the global construction industry in 2021, will open its doors from September 12-15 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Over 1,200 exhibitors representing 50 countries, including 20 country pavilions, will be present at the event. In addition, the exhibition will also feature over 70 talks from 150 global speakers across three high-level summits.

Officials and experts noted that the event has always played a large role in highlighting the latest developments in the construction industry, and that this year’s edition comes at a very important moment for both the local and global construction industry as it moves past the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Experts at the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) noted that their participation in The Big 5 2021 will allow them to showcase a wide range of solutions that will enable key players in the region to tap into new markets and grow their business.

“The construction and building materials sector is vital in Jafza, as it is one of the main drivers in the free zone and is also considered as the key indicator for the development and prosperity of any nation,” said Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and managing director, DP World - UAE Region and Jafza.

“The construction industry in the UAE will witness a rebound in 2021 with a predicted growth of 5.9 per cent and average growth of two per cent through 2025,” he added. “We firmly believe that we can contribute to these figures, setting the stage for construction and building materials companies, as we are the trade gateway to the Mena region and beyond. With our participation in The Big 5, our goal is to not only improve growth prospects for the companies in the construction sector, but also help them reach wider markets.”

The Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority (Saif Zone) is also taking part in The Big 5 show, where experts from the authority will leverage the opportunity to highlight various services for investors.

Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, director of Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority, said: “Our participation in the Big 5, the largest and most influential event in the construction field, reflects our marketing strategy in order to penetrate the major international markets. The Big Five is an important platform for us to introduce the local and international business community to the opportunities available in Saif Zone, which emerges today as a perfect investment environment and a major driver for attracting capital.”

He added: “The business meetings that will take place at our stand are expected to play a constructive and effective role to discuss establishing new projects in this vital sector, and thus enhancing our contribution to cementing Sharjah’s position on the investment map.”

Al Mazrouei also underlined that this year’s Big 5 will play a crucial role in pushing the economic rebound forward in the post-Covid-19 era.

This apparent in a recent report released by Meed Projects, the Projects Data and Intelligence Partner for The Big 5, which revealed that there were contracts worth $163 billion awarded in 2020 in the Middle East and Africa despite the Covid-19 impact and another $1.9 billion worth of projects are currently being executed in the region.

Several French companies that are participating in the construction exhibition have noted that the health crisis has had little impact on the dynamism of the construction sector in the region, and the investments announced, such as the $500 billion Abu Dhabi 2030 plan, which will result in numerous opportunities for the French construction sector.

Frédéric Szabo, MD of Business France Middle East, said: “In order to meet the main requirements of the current construction projects in the Middle East region, France’s quality and reliability of its solutions cover all structural and finishing works. Its high technicality, innovation, and design addresses energy, environmental and digital, challenges, as well as indoor air quality and risk management.”

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