Business & Money | Wednesday 28 January, 2015 3:18 pm |

Under the patronage of Prince Mansour bin Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, The Big 5 Saudi – International Building and Construction Show returns to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the 5th time this year.
Taking place from Monday 9th March until Thursday 12th March at Jeddah Center for Forums and Events, the successful construction event has grown nearly ninety per cent over the past four years. Between 2011 and 2014:
Exhibitors increased from 300 to more than 504;
Visitor numbers increased from 9,000 to more than 15,000; and,
Total event space grew from 7,000sqm and will be 20,000sqm in 2015, with all space now sold out.
The annual event brings together thousands of visitors and exhibitors and showcases cutting-edge construction products and innovations from around the world.
Construction plays a key role in Saudi Arabia - providing a platform for house building, employment opportunities for Saudi nationals, and growth potential for local businesses. In 2014 alone, it is estimated that $75 billion construction projects were awarded, and an estimated $200 billion in contracts will be awarded over the next two years.
Expanding on last year’s two day free-to-attend Seminar Series, the event will for the first time offer free to attend Continued Professional Development (CPD) certified education courses for attendees. The seminar series will give attendees free access to 12 sessions and panel discussions including 5 project showcases. All these educational features will help visitors further their construction careers.
Nathan Waugh, Event Director, for The Big 5 Saudi, said: “The Saudi construction sector is one of the most significant economic drivers in Saudi Arabia, and has played a major role in the country’s development. We are proud to have seen The Big 5 Saudi grow from strength to strength and celebrate its 5th anniversary this year. In addition, we are delighted once again to count on the valued patronage of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.”
“Last year the free educational sessions on offer proved very popular with attendees, so we have increased the number of sessions available at the 2015 event,” added Waugh.



Mr. Ahmed A. A. Al Ansari, Commercial Division Manager, Qatar Steel commented: “We are delighted to participate in The Big 5 Saudi for a second consecutive year. The exhibition has gone from strength to strength and we look forward to another successful show. The Big 5 Saudi provides Qatar Steel with a unique opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities on an international platform, allowing us to directly target potential customers and interact with global construction industry leaders.”
The Big 5 Saudi 2015 is supported by Gold Sponsor, Rajhi Steel, the leading manufacturers of iron and steel in Middle East and North Africa’s.