The 43rd edition of the Big 5, one of the largest construction events in the region, opened this morning (December 5) in Dubai, starting a four-day run at the Dubai World Trade Centre with an industry-altering and future-proofing agenda.

The expo will feature six specialised events addressing the entire sector eco-system - Big 5 Heavy, Middle East Concrete, HVAC R Expo, Middle East Stone, Urban Design & Landscape Expo, and FM Expo, said the organisers dmg events.

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, stated the organisers.

Boasting the strongest government support to date, including the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Dubai Municipality, and Dubai’s General Directorate of Civil Defence, 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.

Ben Greenish, Senior Vice-President Construction at dmg events, said: "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."

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.

The top 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 for 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.

Today, the event will see the names of the 2022 winners of The Big 5 Construction Impact Awards being declared.

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 recognise sustainable development, technological, and digital achievements in the construction industry, stated the organisers.

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, they added.

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.

The speakers list includes Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie, Senior Manager Geotechnical- Building Department at the Dubai Development Authority; Valentin Gaburov, Senior Manager, HSE at the Dubai Healthcare Authority; Engineer 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.

For technology-afficionados, there is 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.

According to the organisers, the 55,000+ attendees expected to attend the expo over the four days 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, they added.

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