Big 5 2005 to highlight the latest developments in environmental building

One of the region's developments to address this subject is the Bahrain World Trade Centre, which includes innovative plans to incorporate wind turbines that will generate power for the complex. A feasibility study has been conducted through a specialist consultant to look into the possibility of utilising wind turbines within the project, and it now looks certain that the owners of the Bahrain World Trade Centre will procure and install three wind turbines connecting the two towers. This will be the first building anywhere in the region to have such a unique feature. The wind turbines are expected to generate sufficient power to power the service areas, and this initiative clearly reflects the owners' concern to save Bahrain's energy resources.

Three turbines, each supported by a 32m bridge will be connected to generators which will feed power to the building, and the cost of fabricating and erecting the bridges and turbines will be around US$2.7 million.

The Big 5, the largest annual meeting place for the region's construction industry, takes place from 16-20 November at Dubai International Exhibition Centre. The event will feature many world leading companies whose speciality lies in the area of environmental and sustainable building. "This year will see the show highlighting innovative products that are specifically designed to offer cost-effective performance and quality while protecting the environment." said Bernard Walsh, Managing Director of organisers dmg world media Dubai Ltd.

"With the majority of the region's projects being directly related to enhancing and expanding the tourism sector, it is clearly essential that the natural environment is protected as much as possible."

Over the five days of the show, visitors will have the opportunity to meet companies whose speciality lies in this particular area of the construction industry, and with governments across the MENA region looking to find ways to address the rapidly growing demand for power, there is great interest in construction techniques that can conserve power as well as generating it.

Internationally acknowledged as the largest and most essential annual meeting place for the industry, The Big 5 continues to expand in size and grow in stature in line with the highly ambitious plans that the region's real estate developers announce on a regular basis. Comprehensively covering seven main product areas: Building & Construction, Water Technology and Environment, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Cleaning & Maintenance, Glass & Metal, Bathrooms & Ceramics, and Marble & Machinery, The Big 5 is one of the longest running events in Dubai, and the history of the event goes back well over 20 years - to the very beginning of Dubai's extraordinary growth.

"Today, it is one of the world's major construction shows, with a powerful global reputation," said Bernard Walsh, Managing Director of dmg world media Ltd. "It plays a major role in the international construction industry, and this year will feature exhibitors from over 50 countries - few, if any, other events anywhere in the world compare in terms of floorspace, number of exhibitors, international representation and number of visitors."

Covering every available square metre of floorspace at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, this year's Big 5 will be even bigger than it was in 2004, due to the addition of extra space in the form of The Marquee, which has enabled the organisers to satisfy the intense demand from companies all around the world.

National pavilions will represent all of the major international countries, the level of official government support for these pavilions again underlining the strong international credibility and effectiveness of The Big 5. Every product sector has expanded, in particular marble and stone, which now fills the entire Sheikh Rashid Hall.

Further enhancing the value of the event to the construction industry, is a comprehensive programme of free technical seminars, which will be presented by experts from the world's leading companies, and cover the most important industry topics, including the latest developments in construction IT, natural ventilation, saving energy and using solar power, hygienic hot water in hotels and hospitals, alternative air conditioning options and plasma cutting to name but a few.

"In total, sixty seminars will be held over the five days of the exhibition, and will take place in rooms A and B above Hall 8 at Dubai International Exhibition Centre,"

said Bernard Walsh, Managing Director of dmg world media Dubai. "A number of the seminars focus on energy efficiency and sustainable building, subjects that are especially relevant for the region, and we believe that these sessions will present the region's construction sector with new, innovative global solutions to their requirements."

The Big 5 takes place from 16-20 November at Dubai International Exhibition Centre.