Construction sector key enabler of Dubai’s development programmes
- 07 Dec 2022
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, today toured the 43rd edition of the Big 5, the largest and most influential construction event in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Sheikh Hamdan said Dubai aims to be a key partner for accelerating global innovation and digital transformation in various industries. The construction sector is a key enabler of Dubai’s development programmes and plays a major role in the development of infrastructure that drives the emirate’s growth.
By bringing together major players in the construction sector at events like Big 5, Dubai aims to catalyse emerging trends in the industry in areas like smart buildings and eco-friendly construction, Sheikh Hamdan added. Dubai is keen to contribute to raising international quality benchmarks in the sector in collaboration with global entities.
Helal Saeed Al Marri, Chairman of the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, accompanied His Highness during the tour.
More than 2,000 participants from 60 countries are participating in the event, which includes 20 national pavilions. Over 55,000 professionals are expected to attend the trade event, which runs from 5-8 December 2022. The annual Big 5 show features six specialised events addressing the entire industry ecosystem: the Big 5 Heavy, Middle East Concrete, HVAC R Expo, Middle East Stone, Urban Design & Landscape Expo, and FM Expo. Running alongside the Big 5 this week is the inaugural Everything Architecture, the only exclusive event for the architecture and design community in the Middle East.
QCC showcases services: The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) showcased its Central Testing Laboratory platform at the Big 5 exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) during December 5-8, highlighting its laboratory services for construction and building materials approved by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
Big 5 is one of the largest events in the construction and building materials’ industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with participation of over 2,600 companies from 137 countries, with an estimated visitor turnout of over 65,000.
QCC’s showcase at the exhibition included testing services through its onsite laboratory as well as through two mobile laboratories in Abu Dhabi.
The testing services are provided for material characterisation, fault analysis as well as for analysis of problems related to building materials. Advisory services are also provided by the laboratory.
Abdullah Hassan Al Maeeni, Executive Director of the Central Testing Laboratory sector reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to provide confidence to the industry by ensuring the quality of construction materials in Abu Dhabi and the UAE in general in cooperation with its strategic partners, contributing to preserving the infrastructure and enhancing the vision of Abu Dhabi in building and developing a sustainable city.He said that over 206 government and semi-government agencies, and private sector companies, benefit from the laboratory services for construction and building materials.
The Big 5 exhibition is also focused on solar energy solutions for the construction industry, and presents innovative technologies and services that promote renewable energy.
On Monday, the winners of the fiercely contested Big 5 Construction Impact Awards 2022, recognising sustainable development, technology, and digital achievements in the construction industry, were announced during a glittering ceremony with over 350 guests, part of the four-day Big 5 exhibition at Dubai World Trade Centre.
The second year of the coveted annual awards drew hundreds of entries from construction businesses from across 20 countries, with 18 winners selected by an international, independent judging panel. “The judges had a tough task,” said Josine Heijmans, Vice-President Construction of Big 5’s organiser dmg events. “The submissions reflected a huge influx of innovation and excellence, which will inspire the industry.”
The Award for Diversity & Inclusion went to the multi-national architecture design company SOM while the ‘Best Use of Technology of the Year’ honour went to DuPod.
Cameroon’s Millennium Group was a double-winner taking the award for ‘Carbon Net Zero Initiative of the Year’ for its Mindca affordable green homes project, while its CEO, Ghislaine Tessa Ketcha – who also founded the ‘Women In Construction Africa’ group – was named ‘Sustainability Leader of the Year.’
“This award reflects the work that the entire team has put into finding an alternative way of using construction materials, and solidifies our efforts towards making Africa a sustainably developed region,” she said.