Dubai: In line with government policies that new buildings should adhere to green regulations, this year's Big 5 event sees a focus on green construction material.
"There has been increasing pressure from the government on upcoming development to reduce their carbon emissions which means executives are prioritizing on ‘green' materials," said Daniel Davis, regional sales manager, Laticrete RAK Co.
The Big 5 green stand is in its second year running and will feature presentations from industry experts and some of the Middle East's best eco-innovations. Additionally, the event is now carbon neutral and has introduced a number of green initiatives to make the exhibition as environmentally friendly as possible.
"Demand for environmental products is increasing, but there are still many companies that are making decisions made on price... without thinking about medium-term investments...the Big 5 aims to lead by example," Armen Vartanian, director of Eco Ventures, told Gulf News.
While the region is still behind other markets in Europe and the US in its implementation of green products in construction, more companies are introducing these products.
Price is a factor
"The region is catching up with the use of products which are environmentally friendly. Sometimes price is a factor but there are areas where developers have to consider it as an investment, for example with solar energy. For us, it is a good time to introduce solar products because it's a growing industry," Saadullah Khan, CEO of Mulk Holdings, told Gulf News.
According to Vartanian, the number of local companies introducing locally-manufactured green products have been increasing in the past two years.
Mapei uses a formula from abroad and manufactures it locally, Bena, uses sand from Al Ain and natural gas provided at subsidised rates from Abu Dhabi to make concrete. Al Youssef Green Roofing is a local firm promoting green designs.
The Big 5 Construction exhibition was inaugurated by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
All aspects
The region's largest event for the construction and building industry is taking place from November 22 to 25 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
Over the four days the event will host over 2,500 exhibitors from 70 countries with 27 pavilions. The exhibitors will cover all sectors of the industry, including facility construction, site and infrastructure, plant machinery and vehicles. The sentiment this year remains positive after recently released statistics.
According to the GCC Building Construction Industry Report 2010, $23,501 million was spent in construction in the UAE this year.
Statistics from Proleads Global, a research company revealed that nearly 1,300 projects worth more than $418 billion are currently under construction in the UAE with another 303 projects worth $143 billion in the design-to-bidding stage. An estimated 1,600 projects worth over $560 billion are active in the UAE.
"After a staggering run of major project announcements in the UAE prior to 2009-10, a sense of stability has returned to the market with more realistic project time frames and expectations..." said Nigel Harvey, general manager, Murray & Roberts.
