Big 5 to explore future-proofing of the construction industry

The 43rd edition of the Big 5, the largest and most influential construction event in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, will open today (Monday) and start a four-day run at the Dubai World Trade Centre with an industry-altering and future-proofing agenda.

The annual event will feature six specialized events addressing the entire sector eco-system, namely the Big 5 Heavy, Middle East Concrete, HVAC R Expo, Middle East Stone, Urban Design & Landscape Expo, and FM Expo. Also held alongside the Big 5 is the inaugural Everything Architecture, the only exclusive event for the architecture and design community in the Middle East.

More than 2,000 participants from 60 countries are taking part in the event, which will host 20 national pavilions, including newcomers Oman, Pakistan, and Singapore, bringing together the key stakeholders from across the full construction value-chain to network, learn and do business. Boasting the strongest government support to date, including the UAE’s Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, Dubai Municipality, and Dubai’s General Directorate of Civil Defense, the Big 5 2022 features focused exhibits, high-level summits, industry talks, visitor experiences, and incubator pitching to address key sector challenges, spur technology adoption, and promote sustainability. “The Big 5 covers all sector touchpoints as the industry looks to step into the vanguard of sustainability to address climate change, encourage cross-sector collaboration, better cater to heightened societal expectations, improve diversity, and prove its willingness as a technology adopter,” explained Ben Greenish, Senior Vice-President Construction of Big 5 organiser dmg events.

Opening the four-day programme is the Global Construction Leaders’ Summit, where local, regional, and global industry decision-makers will look for a collaborative pathway to industry transition. Distinguished delegates attending the summit will hear from David Grover, CEO at ROSHN – Saudi Arabia’s national real estate developer powered by the Public Investment Fund and headline sponsor of the summit; Adel Albreiki, CEO at Aldar Projects; Pierre Santoni, CEO Middle East at Parsons; Kez Taylor, CEO at ALEC; Ian Williamson, Chief Projects Delivery Officer at Red Sea Global; and Saeed Al Abbar, CEO at AESG, to name a few.

It is also on day one that the 2022 winners of The Big 5 Construction Impact Awards will be revealed. Seventeen categories ranging from ‘Carbon Net-Zero Initiative of the Year’, to ‘Best Use of Technology of the Year’, and ‘Workforce of the Future Initiative’, will recognize sustainable development, technological, and digital achievements in the construction industry. Amongst 117 finalists are leading organizations including Turner & Townsend, Gensler, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East, Cundall, The Arab Contractors Company, and Mott MacDonald.

Elsewhere on the show floor, a busy schedule of free-to-attend CPD certified Industry Talks will cover topics across technology, facilities management, architecture & design, project management, and sustainable geotechnical engineering – a programme delivered by the event’s supporting association Deep Foundations Institute. Notable speakers expected tomorrow include Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie, Senior Manager Geotechnical- Building Department at the Dubai Development Authority; Valentin Gaburov, Senior Manager, HSE at the Dubai Healthcare Authority; Eng. Anwaar Al Shimmari, Executive Director of Geospatial Information, Governance Sector at FGIC; Mark Graham, Executive Director - Design Engineering Management at ROSHN; Andrew Mason, Director of Contracts at Calatrava International; Marwa Al Taffag, Head of the Federal Buildings, Housing and Establishments Design at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure; and Phil Auguste, Major Account Manager at Autodesk Global.

Technology-afficionados can head down to Digital Construction World, a dedicated sector at the Big 5, to find the latest solutions in contech, proptech and infratech, and explore Dubai Municipality’s pavilion housing 3D printing companies focused on each stage of the construction cycle. Innovators in display include Saudi Arabia’s construction management software developer WhiteHelmet; Norway’s Rendra, offering a BIM-based collaboration platform; UAE’s PlanRadar, an award-winning, digital field management platform; and American OpenSpace, a global leader in reality capture and AI powered analytics.

The 55,000+ attendees expected at the Big 5 2022 will have the chance to discover a host of experiences curated to make their visit even more engaging. These include first-timers The Five Bar & Restaurant, an outdoor offsite modular unit display by BK Gulf, and an architectural student showcase by the American University in Dubai; as well as welcoming back the all-time favourite Selfie @ Height by Quality Equipment Rental.