Malaysian firms eye Middle East as construction regains momentum

The Business Monitor International estimates that the global construction industry, re-emerging from the clouds of the global economic slowdown, could grow between 1% to more than 5% up to 2014, chiefly on account of growth expectations in the Middle East, North Africa, China and India.

Malaysian construction companies, which already have an international project portfolio of $15bn, are aiming to lead this revival in key markets. Accordingly, the Malaysian construction sector will attend the third Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE 2010) being held at the Dubai International Conventions & Exhibitions Centre from the 13th to the 15th of April 2010.

MSE 2010, organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), will showcase the world-class capabilities of Malaysian companies specialising in eight service clusters - Professional services; oil & gas; construction; information & communications technology (ict); healthcare; franchising; education & specialised training, and financial services.

The three-day exhibition will be attended by 150 establishments including 130 service providers, 12 professional associations and eight government agencies.

Malaysian contractors enjoy a strong reputation in the Middle East, where they are currently working on 51 projects worth $10bn. Majority of these projects are in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Syria, Iran, Jordan and Yemen.

In value terms, the Middle East contributed the highest share of 42% among the 614 overseas projects worth $24bn in which Malaysian contractors have been involved during the period from 1997 to 2009.

"Malaysian expertise in infrastructure building have been deployed in 73 projects across the Middle East, including landmark initiatives such as Burj Khalifa, Al Reem Island, Dubai Metro, Dubai Mall and Meydan Race Course," said Dato Dzulkifli Mahmud, Senior Trade Commissioner at MATRADE and Trade Consul of Malaysia in Dubai.

"Our construction expertise is currently being exported to 49 countries worldwide. The unique advantages we offer in terms of resources, skills, quality, cost and experience in mega projects give us a competitive edge over leading providers in the US, Europe and other Asian countries. MSE 2010 is the right time and place to attract attention to these advantages as the Middle East construction sector is getting back on track," Dato Dzulkifli added.

A major addition to Malaysia's construction services portfolio at MSE 2010 will be environmentally friendly architecture and engineering. An 'Eco Oasis' set up at the exhibition will provide an overview of state-of-the-art green building technologies developed and deployed by Malaysian companies.

The Construction industry Development Board of Malaysia (CIDB), which co-ordinates the industry's representation at MSE 2010, will also address the Malaysia Services Forum, scheduled to be held on the second day of the event, to facilitate outreach and networking with potential partners in West Asia.