Business & Money | Wednesday 7 March, 2018 3:41 am |

A two-floor tent has dragged the attention of visitors at the Big 5 Saudi. Saud Al-Ragea, Chief Executive Officer of Al-Qimam Al-Raqiya, said they have designed this new tent which can be used during Haj to have more pilgrims in one small space. The tent looks like a small home with windows both at the ground and first floor. Inside the tent, the company offers different types of chair beds. Al-Ragea said they have obtained the SASO accreditation and are keen to introduce this idea for the first time in the Kingdom.

Big Five offers different construction solutions, but for the first time cinema seats are displayed at an exhibition booth in the Kingdom thanks to the decision allowing cinemas to open in Saudi Arabia.

Essam Rageh, business development manager at Ferco Shutters and Seating, said some visitors have already demanded more information about the cinema seats they provide, hoping to get some deals with Saudi investors.

Among the exhibitors is Nizar Olleik, CEO of ACS Artpower Creative Space. Unlike all the booths which present construction products, Olleik present design books. Coming from Lebanon, he noted that they have been visiting the Kingdom and their book are demanded by university students and design offices.

The Big 5 Saudi was officially inaugurated Monday evening by Ziad Al Bassam, Vice President of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The latest solutions and materials in construction from 400 international and local exhibitors will be on show until March 8, 2018 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events.

Including bathroom and kitchen fittings, smart city resources, steel and solar technology, the event also displays concrete & PMV equipment and material handling in an outdoor zone dedicated to heavy machinery and warehousing products. The event also offers 54 free-to-attend Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certified workshops. The sessions are divided into themes across three theatres: General Construction, Project Management, and Sustainability, Architecture & Design.

Saudi Arabia’s Building Technology Stimulus Program has come on-board as Strategic Partner for the event. The fund is an initiative of the Saudi Ministry of Housing tasked to increase building technologies capacity in support of urban development goals in the Kingdom.

“The objective of exhibiting at The Big 5 Saudi is to promote the BTSF among key developers, contractors and technology providers. We want to encourage them to increase capacity using building technologies so that they can improve quality and reduce cost and time. By shifting housing construction from on-site to off-site, we can create new job opportunities for skilled Saudi citizens in the construction industry, and encourage investors to set up local factories and boost local supply,” said Mohammad Bin Moammar,

General Director of Building Technology Program.

Looking forward, Bin Moammar revealed “upcoming enablers from the Program to develop the building technology ecosystem which will include the homebuilders platform, technology hub, as well as procurement and technical support for local factories.”