Mena region’s future projects pipeline exceeds $3.7 trillion

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

With more than $800 billion worth of construction contracts awarded over the last ten years, the Mena region’s future projects pipeline exceeds  $3.7 trillion. Construction projects alone account for  $2.4 trillion, according to a recent report by MEED Projects.

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, CEO and Chairman of the Emirates Group, Chairman of Dubai World, and Noor Takaful Insurance Company, officially inaugurated the 40th edition of The Big 5 at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Monday.

The construction industry mega-event is set to welcome over 2,390 local and international exhibitors from 66 countries showcasing 20,000 building solutions and products to 68,000+ expected participants from more than 130 countries over the four days of the show.

As the region’s largest and most influential event for the construction industry celebrates four decades of success, for the first time, The Big 5 covers the full construction cycle with six specialised shows: The Big 5 Heavy, Middle East Concrete, HVAC R Expo, Middle East Stone, The Big 5 Solar, and the Urban Design & Landscape Expo.

Vice President Construction – dmg events, Josine Heijmans, said: “Reflecting the impressive growth of the UAE and wider region, The Big 5 has developed into the global hub for the entire construction industry it is today. In a shifting economic landscape, innovation, technology, market insights, networking, and learning are key to remain competitive. It has never been more important for the industry to come together, address current challenges and shape future strategies.”

The Big 5’s inaugural one-day CEO Forum began with insightful panel discussions on developments in the MENA construction industry, synergies between different stakeholders and the future of the construction industry. The exclusive Voice of the Construction Industry Report on current and upcoming industry trends, opportunities and challenges faced by industry stakeholders, developed by The Big 5 in collaboration with GRS Research & Strategy Middle East, was also unveiled to the CEO forum attendees.

One of the highlights for this year’s expo is the brand new Offsite & Modular Construction Sector showcasing state-of-the-art offsite and modular construction solutions for residential, educational, healthcare as well as commercial applications. The opening day’s talks focused on topics such as the new wave of technologies disrupting the prefabrication and modular construction market, MEP modularisation, as well as the role of design in offsite and modular construction, among others.

The themes of innovation and technology in the construction industry once again proved popular topics within the industry, as participants were able to visit The Start-Up City to meet start-ups presenting the most disruptive technologies that will shape the future of the construction industry. Meanwhile, the Live Innovation Zone featured some of the latest technological advances in the construction industry including a fully automated cleaning robot, an IoT platform that helps construction and rental companies to monitor their equipment, as well as an evaporative air cooler that saves 80% of power consumption.

ESPA, the leading pumps manufacturer headquartered in Spain, is making a splash at the Big 5 International Building and Construction Show opened in Dubai on Monday with some of the most innovative products.

Addressing the media in Dubai on Monday, CEO of ESPA Group Pere Giribets said that ESPA is currently celebrating 30 years in the Middle East and this is also reflected in the company’s presence at the Big 5 show.



“The ESPA brand has grown in the Middle East during the past three decades. Today the product is synonymous with quality and price ratio. At the Big 5 sow, we are introducing a range of solar pumps, high-efficiency motors and special energy-saving VFD pumps,” he said, adding that the new series of pumps offer more comfort, sustainability, performance and profitability, providing an improved quality in water supply.  

“The new technology pumps have been devised to meet the demand of multi-story buildings as well as for daily usage in residential houses. These pumps can save up to 50 per cent energy consumption,” he added.

Speaking about the participation in Big 5, ESPA Managing Director of India & Middle East Rajeev Neelivethil said that for ESPA it is a good opportunity to present the new catalogue with the new Speedrive V2 and the pressurisation equipment with the new variator, in addition to the wide range of products offered by ESPA.

He said that the group is also introducing solar pumps for swimming pools as well as Robotic cleaner for swimming pools.

“This is our gift to the UAE which is pursuing clean energy strategy. Solar pumps will be an important addition to the scheme as various electricity authorities in the country have also been promoting installation of solar panels on their property and utilise the produced solar energy to reduce their monthly electricity bills,” he said.

He said that the group is also planning to increase its operations in the Middle East with the UAE as its central hub in upcoming years.