The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), the Saudi Building Code National Committee (SBCNC), and the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) have signed a partnership to support The Big 5 Saudi, organizers dmg events have announced.
At the event, the governmental organizations, which are committed to protect consumers and strengthen the competitiveness of the national economy, will provide crucial intelligence to local and international participants, paving the way for the future development of the Saudi construction industry.
The partnerships come at a time when more than 5,200 projects are under construction in the Kingdom, and confirm The Big 5 Saudi’s role as a key platform to advance the sector and meet the Saudi Vision 2030 plans.
Announcing GSO’s participation at The Big 5 Saudi 2019, Saud Al-Khusaibi, GSO secretary-general, said: “The GSO is working to promote knowledge of standardization and related activities and quality for industrial, commercial and public consumers. It is also committed to improving the quality of products, goods and materials locally manufactured or imported to the GCC Common Market.”
Al-Khusaibi added: “In this context, GSO is participating in The Big 5 Saudi to raise awareness about sustainable and green buildings and constructions by presenting Gulf standards and technical regulations related to this sector. We will also present our efforts in developing the GCC Building Code for a healthy environment, as well as for the stability and solidity of buildings.”
Roni El-Haddad, event director of The Big 5 Saudi, said: “As the Kingdom unrolls $819 billion worth of construction projects, these partnerships will help elevating the Saudi market to topnotch standards.
“With a 6.13 percent annualized average growth expected between 2018 and 2022, opportunities for global and local industry players in Saudi Arabia are massive. However, it’s not just the size of the market that is changing today: Multibillion projects like NEOM or the Amaala resort on the Red Sea are now truly raising the bar in terms of sustainability, safety and quality of buildings and infrastructure development in the Kingdom. Everyone working in construction or aiming to enter the Saudi market should be aware of the enhanced standards and requirements,” El-Haddad said.
Anticipating construction trends and providing business and learning opportunities to industry professionals, the 9th edition of The The Big 5 Saudi will bring together hundreds of local and international construction buyers and suppliers from March 10-13 at the Jeddah Center for Forum and Events.
For the first time, the event will host official country pavilions from Egypt and Pakistan, alongside Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, India, Turkey and China, among others. More than 100 top Saudi construction players will also exhibit at The Big 5 Saudi 2019, displaying the latest technologies and building solutions across eight dedicated product sectors.