Big 5 regional industry trade fair opens

Thousands of visitors flocked to the first day of the sell-out, five-day show which occupies all available space at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre. The show was officially opened by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai who spent over an hour visiting stands and talking with exhibitors.

Simon Mellor, Vice President Construction of dmg world media Dubai the organisers of The Big 5, said:

"Demand for space at this year's show has exceeded our expectations. While construction may retract due to the global climate, the fact remains that Arabian Gulf is still one of the few regions of the world where growth is forecast to continue."

"Without doubt, this region continues to offer the greatest concentration of construction work in today's changing world," Walsh added. "There are still in excess of 5,200 individual projects worth more than $4 trillion underway across the Middle East. More than 980 of these are in the United Arab Emirates alone with a total value in excess of $800bn."

"As the construction industry in many other regions contracts, supply companies from every corner of the world have descended on The Big 5 in pursuit of contracts. They are crucially aware that regional governments are committed to giving continued priority to infrastructure projects in the development of their economies," added Walsh.

Exhibition space at The Big 5 - also one of the world's largest shows for the construction industry and associated suppliers - was completely sold out some months ago with more than 3,200 exhibiting companies from over 50 countries worldwide.

The organisers are expecting 50,000 people to have visited the show by the time it closes on Thursday 27 November 2008. Nearly 14,000 visitors registered online to attend.

A special conference on energy efficient green building solutions and environmentally friendly technologies is taking place as part of The Big 5.

The Big 5 Technical Conference takes at the Monarch Hotel in response to the introduction by the Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, of a green building directive underscoring Dubai's support for efforts to address global environmental challenges.

Compiled in conjunction with Ecospecifier International, the conference is also a complete sell-out with speakers on green issues such as sustainable communities; district cooling; the design of carbon critical buildings; eco-profiling of buildings; sustainability assessments; and green architecture.

Alongside The Big 5 exhibition is The Big 5 PMV - The Middle East's premier construction plant, machinery and vehicles at the same venue. Exhibitor numbers have increased by 70% at this year's Big 5 PMV, 85% of which are international companies. The Big 5 PMV features an outdoor arena over an area of 40,000 square metres.