(MENAFN- Arab Times) The confidence in the construction market demonstrated at The Big 5 Kuwait 2013 has further propelled the event's expansion and leadership role as an international building and construction show in the Middle East. 185 exhibitors, from 25 countries, showcased their products and technologies to address construction and infrastructure needs of Kuwait's fast expanding economy. The three-day exhibition was opened by His Excellency the Minister of Public Works and Electricity and Water, Abdul Aziz Al Ibrahim. Kuwait's key decision makers had access to thousands of building and construction products including, heavy machinery, bathrooms, kitchens & sanitary ware, scaffolding, facilities management services, plumbing and water technology, concrete, HVAC, marble, stone and ceramics and all products from within the fit-out sector. .
One exhibitor was the Middle East's largest batching plant manufacturer, Saudi based KiCE, who said they expected Kuwait to increase its demand for construction based on new projects announced and awarded. KiCE showcased their new compact containerised batching plants manufactured in Saudi Arabia and within close proximity to Kuwait City. "We're extremely happy to announce the launch of this new batching plant, which is flexible, especially for our customers outside the Saudi market who we regularly ship our products to. It is also the perfect solution for projects that require less storage space," said Engineer Saleh Al Katheer, CEO for KiCE.
Exhibition visitors also took advantage of the educational element at The Big 5 Kuwait. This included the Sustainable Design and Construction Conference, which had speakers from the Kuwait Municipality and Kuwait Green Building Council talking on regulation, case studies on KIPCO Tower and the Jahara Road Project, One delegate remarked that the first 'step towards sustainability' in Kuwait has been taken at the conference.
Continuing the green theme in the special features was the USGBC LEED 201 Workshop: Core Concepts and Strategies. The certified workshop taught how to identify the key components of the international LEED Rating System.
Finally, a How to Trade in Kuwait seminar was held alongside the exhibition and saw attendance from international companies looking for guidance on how to begin trading in Kuwait. The delegates received guidance on Kuwait's licensing, permits and visas taxation requirements and contacts that would help them tap into the lucrative market. The half-day session also discussed important background on how and where to get started in Kuwait, foreign offset contributions, risk management and exit procedures.
"The feedback and response to our inaugural The Big 5 Kuwait exhibition has been phenomenal, and is a true reflection of the growth opportunities that exist in Kuwait today. There is a huge demand in the market for quality products that are sustainable while being cost-efficient, and we are pleased to be able to extend our regional and global expertise in the construction and building sector and bridge this gap in Kuwait," says Andy White, Group Event Director, The Big 5.
The Big 5 Kuwait will be back in 2014 with bigger and greater representation from the global and local building and construction industry. The next Big 5 event will take place from Nov 25-28 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. It is the portfolio's flagship event which welcomes over 2,500 international exhibitors and 60,000+ participants from across the Middle East.
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